Lush Café in the university district of Beijing is not the most convenient place to interview two Chinese entrepreneurs. A long ride from downtown, surrounded by the dust of the numerous building sites that dot the area and full of leisurely students, the café is not a place where one would imagine the discussion of issues vital to modern business taking place.
Still, the cafe does have some upside. For one, it is close to the home of the private equity specialist who set up the meeting. For another, although tensions are running high in the city following the recent anti-Japanese demonstrations, the good food and quiet atmosphere permit rational discussion...