Relevance

The information and ideas presented in this blog are sourced from the Chinese business climate of the mid to late 1990’s, which in some ways is very different from what a Western businessperson would expect to encounter now, over ten years into the new millennium.

As anyone contemplating a business venture in China is aware, there are few countries in the world that have changed as dramatically over such a short period of time, and the pace of that change in the 21st century continues to accelerate.

Nevertheless, the concepts discussed in this blog still have relevance. Some of the systems and practices discussed here may no longer exist; however, their impact on Chinese attitudes and behaviour continue to resonate today.

Generalisations

This blog does not claim to portray situations and behaviours that are exclusive to the Chinese. Rather, it is common and/or repeated patterns of behaviour and the situations in which you are likely to encounter them that are introduced and explored.

Generalisations are made on the basis of the author’s personal observations and experiences over a significant period of time; nevertheless, they retain all the limitations of any generalisation.

The Rest is Up to You…

The information in this blog is not a substitute for common sense and/or intuition about what feels right or wrong to you as a businessperson. Keep in mind that a faux pas in China does not necessarily have any more dire consequences than in any other country, and you should not feel as though your instincts have less validity than the information and advice in a blog like this.