Chinese inventions were heralded throughout antiquity, and for good reason. A number of things from China, such as the compass, were adopted and used by people all over the world. But one invention in particular, porcelain Chinese tea sets, is widely regarded as the best item to come out of this country.

But after these great tea sets were introduced to Europe, Westerners couldn’t get enough and local artisans tried to master this art. Chinese porcelain was so fine and elegant, even princes and kings wanted some, and even just having one such item in your home became a huge status symbol.

In the beginning, European kilns produced almost nothing that could compete with the Chinese tea sets. Artisans just couldn’t figure out the process. What’s more, there didnt seem to be any of the right clay anywhere. The formula was confusing, and the firing techniques were just beyond their skill level.

Then a young European alchemist came on the scene. Just 19 years old, Johann Bottger was given the impossible task of turning lead into gold for the kind of Poland. When he failed, he was jailed for a long time. But it was during this period that he started to study how to make porcelain.

It was with the support of a local leader who was simple obsessed with porcelain that Johann was able to get a hold of the clay he needed to produce truly great items. Now he had the materials, the only question was the technique.

Eventually, Johann figured it out! After many failed attempts, he started mixing the proper materials together with the precious clay and produced his first porcelain item. He also constructed a kiln that could compete with those in China.

He made tiny test tiles that were the first porcelain items ever made in Europe. But that was all he could do.

The rest of the mystery was solved by a Jesuit missionary in China. At about the same time of Johann Bottger’s experiments, Pere d’Entrecolles, a Jesuit priest, made his way into Chinas Jingdezhen, where the worlds best porcelain was made. Seven years later he published two voluminous letters that detailed the process of making Jingdezhen porcelain. And before long, factories making porcelain were established across Europe.

Was this the earliest industrial espionage?

Manufacturing and then importing from Asia / China can seem daunting, especially if you are a comparatively small business and have never thought about Global Sourcing.

The fact is, yes it is tricky, in fact, just being allowed to go into South China (now globally seen as the manufacturing capital of the world) is itself a formidable prospect.

However, that shouldn’t put you off, as long as you have the right importing company on your side. The benefits of having your product(s) produced in Asia to very high standards make the whole process worth-while and viable. People have been doing it for years and it really can save lots of time, effort and money.

It is of the utmost importance when trading with the Asian business world, that you understand their way of doing things, what motivates them and their culture.

The best way of doing this is to hire a company that specialises in this sort of thing, that knows the Asian business etiquette and what not to do. It is also important that the company you choose is well known and trusted in the Asian business community.

Of course the main benefit of low cost country sourcing is the price. Money in the Asian economy is on a much smaller scale, i.e. the pound () is worth much more there than it is here. It is for this reason that they can offer unbeatable prices, while maintaining the welfare of their workers by providing them with a comfortable wage.

You can manufacture products in far larger numbers than would be possible here. Again this does largely come down to cost, but another advantage of importing from Asia is that you can vastly expand your supplier resources to gain an invaluable advantage over your competition.

Finding a company that can take this task on for you is extremely important. Good companies in this field have invaluable knowledge, experience and relationships with manufacturers and suppliers all of which are essential in a highly competitive environment.