Personal Outlook

You are likely to find that your Chinese counterparts feel most comfortable in known situations and often work on the basis of established patterns, beliefs, and behaviours, in both their personal as well as professional lives.

They are aware of these habits, and they like them, often to the exclusion of other ideas or suggestions. They may also insist that things cannot be done the way you have suggested because it is not ‘the Chinese way’ or because “You don’t understand how things are done in China.”

There are good reasons for this attitude, originating in both China’s recent and more distant past. For example, historically speaking, China has been a more monocultural society than many Western countries.

Personal Modesty

On the other side of the coin, self-depreciation also lies at the heart of Chinese values and behaviour, in both business and social contexts. Chinese standards of modesty dictate an understated response in certain situations.

For example, upon meeting a new contact for the first time, there is often an elaborate display of self-depreciation, as your hosts belittle everything from their office to their own worth.

In addition to downplaying their own achievements in front of others, the Chinese will sometimes do the same of their children, calling them lazy or disobedient in front of guests, while the next minute being eager to show off their ‘awful’ piano-playing or ‘second rate’ school awards.