Sophisticated propaganda by private sector lobbyists, often skilled lawyers or retired civil servants, to promote a favourable regulatory environment for their businesses is a long-established, although occasionally maligned, practice in the world's most powerful democracies.
But can such techniques be applicable to China, a country where the ways of the government are shrouded in often willful obscurity
Margery Kraus, CEO of US-based APCO Worldwide, believes that China is a fertile future market for lobbying companies - but that due allowances need to be made for China's special characteristics.
APCO has 20% of its worldwide workforce on the mainland, which accounts for 15%...