Питер Bennett

Коллега раз говорил мне что хороший индикатор хозяйственного доверия был числом кранов конструкции на skyline. Если он правильно, то Beijing чувствует хорошим о своих перспективностях, очень хороших в действительности.

Согласно рисункам недавн опубликованным Ассошиэйтед пресс, экономия Китая выросла на blistering 9.4 процентах в первое 3/4 из 2005 одного. Но лотк-Европейский список избирателей дела UPS фирмы парцеллы показал что почти третью (31 процентом) UK крупных предпринимателей не рассматривает, что Азия будет важный торговать или продукции рынок.

Проигнорировать headlines предсказывая будить `дракона' был бы коммерчески суицидом: мировая экономика проходит виток по мере того как Азия Кита-водить возвращает к своей исторической роли на центре дел, согласно волку The Financial Times' Мартин.
Несколько из нас получают emails в китайце, но меня пила одно в прошлом году которую перевел в: «Я хотел был бы потратить миллион фунтов с вашей компанией». Хорошая отговорка, я думал, для того чтобы потратить январь в Beijing говоря к представительным организациям дела и растущая компания которые хотят торговать с западом. There were things I know now which I didn’t know when I boarded my plane from London to Beijing to meet my Chinese contact which everyone wishing to do business in China should be aware of. Let me explain.

There were no berths available on the night train from Beijing to Xian (famous for its terracotta army but fast developing other industries) but we soon found ourselves settling down to sleep as one suddenly came available. A few days later we dined in a restaurant which was so busy that there was a queue for tables but strangely we had been directed past the queue into a private dining room.

Not long after my arrival in Beijing I’d mentioned a long standing back injury was troubling me after my flight. The next day I was ushered past the waiting patients to be x-rayed immediately by one of the City’s leading orthopedic surgeons. No money changed hands. The currency exchanged was based upon Guanxi (Pronounced “GWAN-shee”) which literally means “relationships”. In practice, “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours”. The exchange of favors.

My host, a local businessman whose family has lived in the same area of Beijing for centuries, runs several successful restaurants. He has Guanxi in abundance and I have lost count of the number of times his standing has made things happen which would have been impossible without his network. If you trade with China, or would like to trade with China, underestimate Guanxi at your peril.

It works at all levels from social engagements through business and into officialdom. Western corporations often place great emphasis on efficiency and financial performance as a guide to whether or not to trade with other entities. In China, a much higher importance is put on personal relationships. You do not need to be big and powerful to forge successful business relationships with Chinese executives but you do need establish the personal contacts first.

My advice is not to rely on formal written communications but wherever possible to talk to prospective contacts on the phone (using an interpreter if required) and, if at all possible, arrange to meet in person as soon as you think you have a mutual interest in trading. Return flights from London to Beijing are around 400 UK and once there, accommodation is cheap.

Time spent getting to know your potential partners will pay dividends down the line. Unless your hosts speak English well, consider hiring a face-to-face interpreter to avoid confusion and help initial meetings run smoothly. Their local knowledge of the City will also be invaluable as Beijing is huge.

My time in China was extremely productive. London Translations Limited, has announced an agreement with Beijing Sagive Translations Company Limited, one of the most respected and experienced translation firms in China. This will provide a crucial language ‘bridge’ to enable trade between our two countries. Crucially they will provide an English to Chinese service and we will translate Chinese into English.

Incidentally, I never found out how exactly we managed to get seats on a fully booked train but my host did mention that the wife of a comedian whose show was being played on TV in our carriage works at the train company and the comedian himself regularly eats in his restaurants!

Article Source: www.articlebazaar.net

Peter Bennett is founder and CEO of London translations Limited, one of London’s fastest growing business translation and interpreting agencies.

Download his free report, Translation without tears, from:
www.london-translations.co.uk