Breaking into the Chinese market to generate sales or even to source low cost, high quality products can be a frustrating and costly experience capable of tripping up any firm.
Stories about Irish buyers receiving products inferior to the samples they viewed on recent trips to China circulate widely in trade circles. And there is often very little comeback for a buyer as China's legal system still has only a very limited experience of business dispute resolution.
One of the most common issues faced by Irish firms is contractual problems, says Ms Sharon Keilthy, who spends much of her time acting as a "corporate firefighter" for firms attempting to break into China.
As founder of the Asian Institute, Ms Keilthy offers training and support for firms doing business in China and has come across dramas that have developed into a crisis due to cultural or linguistic misunderstandings.
"If a problem arises with a Chinese partner, the worst thing an Irish firm can do is to meet the Chinese chief executive and slam their fist on the table and demand results," she says.
"This would greatly offend the executive and cause a loss of face, after which the relationship could be lost."
Ms Keilthy says a much better approach would be to take the partner out to dinner, golf or karaoke and politely explain the problems that have emerged.
Patience is the key to building successful business relationships in China as it is in many other Asian cultures and a handshake, rather than any contract, is often the real basis for an agreement.
Luckily, Irish people are usually good at building relationships with Chinese businesses, in part because the way we do business also focuses on socialising outside of work to build trust.
Drinking shots of maotai - a potent Chinese alcoholic beverage - over dinner with each member of a partner's executive team is common, as one Irish businessman travelling in China recounted with a grimace.
Building trust, known as guanxi, often takes a long time to establish between partners and can delay the time taken to break into the market.
Low level corruption, particularly at a local government level, and weak protection of copyright and intellectual property are also cited by businesses as problems.
Severe electricity shortages resulting in rolling blackouts and the enforced shutdown of thousands of factories is playing havoc with lead times for suppliers of certain goods, particularly textiles.
But the potential gains from breaking into China, which is growing at a very rapid pace, is forcing scores of firms to consider how to access its market.
The message from most China experts is: ignore the rise of the Chinese dragon at your peril.
