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Upcoming
Events
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Luncheon with the Ambassador of His Majesty
of Morocco
Saturday November 1
Four Seasons Las Colinas. $40.
Seating is limited.
Info and RSVP
International Business Seminar
Mexico
Tuesday December 2
Four Seasons Las Colinas
Info and RSVP
Lunch & Learn:
Working with the Chinese
Friday Nov 21
May Dragon
Addison
Info and RSVP
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Schedule
your customized course or
Lunch & Learn
Working with the Chinese
Working with Mexicans
Working with Germans
Multicultural Diversity
Professional Development
CEU Credit
Possible
email us or call 214-827-8632 for more
information.
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Global Intelligence: China & the Chinese
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Working with China
Friday 21 November, 11:30 a.m.-2
p.m.
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Cultural
aspects of doing business with China.
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Primary
cultural differences affecting work
relationships
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Top
mistakes
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Shoulds
and shouldn'ts
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Tips for
building positive relationships
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Actual
business case examples
Location:
May Dragon restaurant, Addison
Cost:
$38.88; $48.88 on or
after Nov. 19
Dallas Regional Chamber members will
receive a coupon for a 10% discount on
future seminars.
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Demystifying Chinese Communication
Yes? No?
Maybe?
By Dr. Jian Li
(Part 2 of 10)
Growing up in the U.S., we
are taught to "say what we mean", and "mean
what we say." In China and many other Asian
countries, including Japan and Korea, a
smart person is often defined as the one who
understands "three things when only one
thing is presented." When an American hears
"yes", he usually interprets it as an
agreement. When a Chinese says "yes", it may
simply mean "I hear you", or "maybe",
depending on the context.
Does "good" or "yes" always mean "yes"?
"How do you like our
proposal?" An American executive asked his
Chinese counterparts after presenting a
business proposal. The Chinese responded,
"Good, very good. Give us a few minutes to
discuss." After a few minutes of group
discussion, one of the Chinese stood up and
said, "We are pleased with your presentation
and the effort you put in", and then added,
"We think this is worthy of further
research". Upon hearing this, the American
executive was very pleased and thought the
proposal was well on its way to approval.
Analysis
When the Chinese said, "good, very good",
did it mean they liked the American
proposal? When they said, "we think this is
worthy of further research", did it mean the
proposal was likely to get approved? The
answer to both questions is no. In the first
case, "good" means "ok, I hear you". "Worthy
of further research" implies a "soft no",
which still leaves some space for
negotiation.
Tips
Something we need to be aware of in
communicating with the Chinese or other
Asians is that there are
many
ways to say yes and no. Since
a direct "no" is considered impolite, the
Chinese use several euphemisms to
communicate it. For example: "it's
difficult," I'm not sure", "it's worthy of
further research", or just silence. If you
are unsure what is meant by these seemingly
vague or evasive responses, it's ok to probe
for clarification. But probing should be
done with sensitivity - preferably not in
front of a group, but on a one to one basis.
Does "no"
always mean "no"?
"You look absolutely beautiful in that red
dress", Mary said to Meili, who just came
from China a week ago. Upon hearing it,
Meili appeared very embarrassed, and said,
"oh, no, it's nothing, I've had it for
years". Mary thought, "did I say something
inappropriate? Was she upset by my
compliment?"
Analysis
When Meili said "oh no, it's nothing," she
was showing her modesty by downplaying
compliments. It's always hard for a Chinese,
someone who is not used to Western culture,
to accept compliments with "grace". Chinese
modesty calls for downplaying one's
achievement or self-worth while elevating
the status of the other. This is best
exemplified by the way a Chinese asks for
someone's name in a polite way, "nin gui xin?"
which means "what's your honorable family
name?" and the other person would respond, "mian
gui, xin Wang" which means " no honorable
please, my family name is Wang".
Read complete article
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Highlight -
Photographer Keary Liu, an American who
has lived in China for 7 years, is
documenting China with a beautiful eye.
(The center photo in our banner is
hers). View her gallery by clicking on
the photo at right.
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We Should Join Hands
An Interview by CNN's Fareed Zakaria with
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao
While the news of the
American financial crisis and the
presidential election dominate the media,
other world news takes a back seat. On
September 28, Chinese Prime Minister Wen
Jiabao gave a rare exclusive interview to
Fareed Zakaria, a respected journalist,
author, and the host of CNN's Global Public
Square program. Wen, 66, is known for his
openness and economic mastery, and has
presided over some of the fastest growth in
China's history. He began the conversation
by pledging to "tell the truth" and invited
Zakaria to interrupt him, since Wen "prefers
dialogue to long-winded speeches." The two
covered topics ranging from Tibet and
Tiananmen Square to Darfur and human rights,
from political philosophy to the U.S.
elections, from the current financial crisis
to the future of Chinese democracy.
Zakaria outlined the
importance of this interview at the
beginning of the program: "China's rise to
power is probably the single most important
trend of our lifetime. It's changing the
world. Yet we know so little about the
country and the men who rule it. They
control this vast land of 1.3 billion
people, but they also have enormous
influence over your life. The Chinese are by
far the largest holders of American debt,
for example. They buy billions of dollars'
worth of American Treasury bills every week.
What if they were to lose faith in America?"
This is Wen's first U.S.
interview in five years.
Click to access the
live interview from CNN.
The text of the interview can be accessed
from the
October 6 issue of Newsweek.
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