Sourcing in China: a typology

China is one of the most attractive sourcing basins thanks to the low cost of manpower, the rapid increase in the quality and quantity of its products, the availability of major logistic platforms, and the possibility of justifying a commercial presence in the market that is potentially the biggest of the world. Taking into consideration the importance of the phenomenon, this study has tried to analyse-through case study research-the sourcing types adopted by a sample composed of 10 companies with their headquarters in Italy and at least 5 years experience in the management of sourcing activities in China. The data gathered highlight that the sourcing activity in China can differ in some structural characteristics; certain critical factors of the sourcing types described in this study are considered. Moreover, we try to identify the context variables that can indicate the most suitable sourcing type. As far as this latter aspect is concerned, the research group has developed some hypotheses that will be tested in subsequent investigations.