BOSTON Consulting Group is poised to set up a mainland joint venture in Shanghai.
Boston will have a 50 per cent holding in the new company while Bank of Communications and Shanghai's Jiaotung University will each take a 25 per cent stake.
Tomorrow the company will start to provide strategic planning services to overseas and mainland clients.
''Changing rules on paper is much easier than behaviour,'' says Boston vice-president Richard Foyston, who hopes that the joint venture can bring up-to-date management skills to mainland enterprises.
With China evolving towards market reform, he saw a big demand for consultancy services not only from private enterprises but also government bodies.
He said that a few months ago Boston had assisted the securities commission in Shanghai with staff training programmes and liaison work.