China's thriving construction industry has led to a growing                      number of foreign firms becoming involved in the industry,                      and as a result, a considerable exchange of design ideas,                      project management practices, technology, and construction                      techniques has taken place. Such interaction has been invaluable                      to both foreign and local architectural and engineering (A&E)                      firms, however, only a limited number of foreign A&E firms                      have established permanent offices in China, while most locate                      here on a project-by-project basis.