Czechoslovak Companies in the Chinese Market between the World Wars (Škoda Works and Sellier & Bellot Cases)

As the basic statistical summaries prove, during the inter‑war period China did not belong among the main business partners of Czechoslovakia. On the other hand, the Chinese market played an important role in the sales strategy of certain Czechoslovak companies, including those which held a significant position in Czechoslovak industry. Škoda Works and Sellier & Bellot are included among the relatively narrow group of companies which were able to find success in the Chinese market. Their “Chinese trades” were in some respects similar, but in others fundamentally different. Both companies had to face problems which for instance arose from the very specific nature of the unstable and from the Czechoslovak point of view extremely exotic market. On the other hand, the reasons for their successes in the Chinese market were somewhat different.