Chapter 14: Migrant Entrepreneurship in the Digital Age: A Case Study of the Chinese Daigou Trade in Western Europe
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Yong Li [1] ; Chenna Wang [2]
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[1] Rouen Normandy
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[2] Xi’an International Studies University
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- Localización: Handbook of Chinese Migration to Europe / Mette Thuno (ed. lit.), Simeng Wang (ed. lit.), Emilie Tran Sautedé (ed. lit.), Yu-chin Tseng (ed. lit.), 2025, ISBN 978-90-04-71214-0, págs. 405-434
- Idioma: inglés
- Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
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Resumen
Over the past 15 years, in Europe and other parts of the Global North, many Chinese migrants (students, family migrants, traders, etc.) have been involved in the cross-border daigou 代购 (proxy purchasing) trade. The daigou-ers buy foreign products (luxury goods, infant formula, cosmetics, etc.) and resell them to customers in China through the renrou 人肉 (personal carrier) system, post office, or Chinese-run courier companies. The daigou system embodies an original way of earning a living for overseas Chinese in the global economy, in which they utilize their digital devices, transnational mobilities, and networks. This chapter provides a comprehensive understanding of the daigou phenomenon in Western Europe based on two ethnographic studies in France and Belgium. Our analysis shows the origins of the daigou phenomenon and its evolution from a voluntary act based on guanxi 关系 (personal connections) to a profit-making activity motivated by economic rationality. It also analyses the overlap between digital entrepreneurship and migrants’ trajectories and digital labour. Finally, it examines how the business model of daigou has evolved in line with the transformation of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Europe and China. The chapter ends with some avenues for future research.
