You negotiate directly in China. You think you've cut out the middlemen. In reality, you may have just removed your only protection.

Every year, thousands of African entrepreneurs and decision-makers buy, invest, and negotiate directly with Chinese suppliers convinced they're getting the best possible deal. This book demonstrates, with real figures and real cases, why this approach exposes them to legal and financial risks rarely anticipated, and often discovered too late.

From Guangzhou to Singapore, from McDonald's to Apple, from the informal trading posts of Yiwu to the holding structures of Mauritius and Dubai, Régis Diabaté dismantles a stubborn myth: that negotiating directly with China is always the most profitable strategy. He shows, instead, how the most experienced players in international trade secure their assets elsewhere in Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai, Mauritius before ever signing their first contract in mainland China.

With real data, original case studies rarely found in French-language business literature, and concrete tools for restructuring your contracts and financial flows, The Illusion of Direct Dealing speaks to any entrepreneur, investor, or decision-maker looking to turn commercial dependence on China into a genuine strategic advantage.

This isn't about avoiding China. It's about finally learning how to negotiate with it safely.