Etiquette Guide to China by Boye Lafayette De Mente

Author:Boye Lafayette De Mente
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-8048-4519-9
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing

Dealing with 56 Chinas!

Chinese employed in business and government as well as foreigners who are familiar with China continuously point out that there is not just one China, and not just a single Chinese culture. While there are notable cultural similarities among the regions of China, as well as among its individual provinces, each area is different enough from the others that generalizations seldom fit. This means that business strategies must be devised for the different areas.

One veteran Chinese businessman has said that there are 56 different Chinas, in reference to the country’s 56 officially recognized ethnic groups. In addition, there are 31 provinces in China, and much to the surprise of some foreign businesspeople going there for the first time, they often behave more like independent countries. The level of competition among these provinces ranges from strong to cutthroat. Some even have barriers against doing business with other provinces. Others charge excise taxes on raw materials “exported” to other provinces.

Large cities such as Shanghai also have their own ways of doing things, including both regulations and customs. This makes it imperative that companies planning to do business in these cities are acquainted with all of the local requirements.

One useful way of understanding the differences between Chinese and Western approaches to doing business is to think of the Western way as direct and the Chinese way indirect. Generally speaking, the Chinese way of doing business is inconvenient and inefficient—something the Chinese themselves recognize. In fact, the Chinese are slowly but surely adopting Western ways of doing business.

Nonetheless, foreigners doing business in China must know a lot about Chinese culture and become adept at working within or around it. They must accept the idea that in China all business is personal, and proceed from that assumption. It is a much greater stretch for Westerners to try to do business the Chinese way than it is for the Chinese to do business the Western way. Westerners should not try to do so beyond reasonable limits.

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