The growth of the Chinese economy is well known and well documented. The compound growth since 1995 has been 9%, and with an impressive rate of 10.7% in 2006. Now China’s overall GDP ranks sixth in the world, and the country also has the world’s second-largest foreign exchange reserve. Furthermore, it is the most popular destination for foreign direct investment, taking in some one billion dollars a week.
After almost a month as the co-host of “I Love Health” I am beginning to understand a thing or two about Chinese TV. The major observation I often hear about Chinese TV (from Chinese and foreigners alike) is that it is full of low quality programming. I now have several Chinese close friends with good English who frequently download American TV shows from the Internet. They all have all unequivocally told me that the American shows are superior to Chinese ones, and say that when
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SCENARIO: Deal or No Deal - At the end of his week-long visit in Beijing, his third in six months, Peter, a British company director, was frustrated by a lack of progress in the joint venture negotiations with the Chinese. A meeting scheduled for the last day of his stay had just been abruptly canceled and no reason was given. The host sent a car to take the visitors to tour the Great Wall for the day instead. But a farewell dinner that night…
Business culture in China is significantly different from Western business culture. Familiarity with the Chinese business ethic can help you when doing business with the Chinese. It is advisable to pay attention to the following tips:
• A short and light, not firm, handshake is the customary start to a business meeting. It is advisable to start the meeting with ’small talk’ and only after that to pass on to business matters. During the meeting it is customary to address your Chinese colleagues with the
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“Stupid. You’re stupid!” my Chinese friend accused me. I hadn’t felt I deserved that sort of abuse. I had negotiated a transaction in Chinese language and thought I’d gotten a pretty good deal. My friend persisted in calling me “stupid,” since I could have received the goods for a tenth the price in Beijing. I was near hanging up the phone on my friend in exasperation. The friend, confused, shouted, “Wait a minute! Wait a minute! I think I’ve made a mistake! In Chinese we say “shah” to close friends. It means foolish, stupid. I think I…
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