East Asia

The East Asian region encompassed OUP operations in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, China, and Japan, and each country presented distinct challenges for the Press. Asian markets were complicated by changing attitudes to the status of English—its commercial utility as well as its political implications—and to the tolerance of foreign-owned companies. The chapter considers the political and economic situations in East Asia as they affected OUP and assesses the different policies governing publishing in English and, more importantly, vernacular languages. Educational publishing remained a strength in Malaysia, while Japan emerged as a successful academic and English Language Teaching market. The region required a flexible approach and each branch operated with some independence in order to best address the local market conditions. The chapter considers the different approaches adopted by each branch, describes their relations with Oxford, and assesses branch leadership and sales figures.