Business communication in Chinese culture When talking, maintain good posture and a quiet voice. Some Chinese will look others in the eyes, while some will not. Lowering the eyes is considered a sign of respect; direct eye contact may be considered too personal or even rude. The Chinese generally do not like being touched by strangers. Chinese are typically modest; in China one should always exhibit a humble spirit and never boast or exaggerate one’s abilities. The Chinese believe humility to be a virtue; they will also investigate one’s claims. Excessive hand gestures and facial expressions while communicating are not common.• Chinese business negotiations nevertheless continue to be heavily influenced by the peoplecentric • philosophies of Confucius and Lao Tzu, and their core values of collectivism, honor, respect, • obedience, and harmonious relationships. China’s unique guo qing adds another layer of complexity • to negotiating behavior by shaping the decision-making process politically and setting the tone for • doing business with foreigners. The western business practices admitted through China’s open doorhave paved the way for smoother communication during business negotiations, albeit sometimes constrained by conflicting concepts or values.

1. MINISTRY OF EDUCATION OF UKRAINE
TERNOPIL NATIONAL ECONOMIC UNIVERSITY
UKRAINIAN-DUTCH FACULTY OF ECONOMICS AND MANAGEMENT
Business Communication and
Organizational Behavior Department
Business Communication
Individual Task
International aspects of negotiations in China
Group:MAUN-41
Student’s Name:
Roksolana Zelinska
Ternopil – 2014

2. Chinese negotiators are more concerned with
the means than the end, with the process
more than the goal
Roksolana Zelinska

3. AGENDA
• Communication style
• The initial approach
• Office Protocol
• Negotiation Styles
• Business relationship in China
• Women in the workplace
• Controversial Issues in China
• Gifts and presents
• Corporate Hierarchy
• Survival Tips
• Always keep in mind
• Summary
Roksolana Zelinska

4. Communication style
o Chinese are typically modest
o In China one should always exhibit a humble spirit and never
boast or exaggerate one’s abilities
o The Chinese believe humility to be a virtue
o they will also investigate one’s claims
o Excessive hand gestures and facial expressions while
communicating are not common
Roksolana Zelinska

5. The initial approach
• Chinese business contacts are mostly referrals
• Address a person using his or her family name only
• Business interactions between men and women are reserved
Roksolana Zelinska

6. Office protocol
• Conservative suits for men with subtle colors are the norm
• Women should avoid high heels and short sleeved blouses. The
Chinese frown on women who display too much
• Subtle, neutral colors should be worn by both men and women
Casual dress should be conservative as well
• Men and women can wear jeans. However, jeans are not acceptable
for business meetings
Roksolana Zelinska

7. Office protocol
Roksolana Zelinska

8. Negotiation style
In China, personal relationships are greatly valued and foreign
businesspersons should expect the purpose of the initial meetings
to be merely for potential business partners to become
acquainted and foster a relationship. The first meeting is usually
very formal, with the Chinese sizing up the other party and
organization. No decisions will be made at the table, but copious
amounts of information must be provided
Roksolana Zelinska

9. Negotiation style
With regard to negotiating the best deal possible, it is in the
foreign businessperson’s best interest to pursue multiple partners
and to let the companies know there are others in competition for
the business. This practice is common in China; not following it will
give the Chinese the impression the individual is not a savvy
businessperson
Roksolana Zelinska

10. Business Relationship in China
• Chinese business relationship inevitably becomes a social relationship
after a while.
• The more you share your personal life, including family, hobbies,
political views, aspirations, the closer you are in your business
relationship.
Roksolana Zelinska

11. Women in the Workplace
Mao Zedong once said “women can hold up half the sky,” and this has
had a great influence on Chinese society. Officially, women have the
same rights as men in the workplace, and the Communist Party has
promoted the message that gender makes no difference in business.
Roksolana Zelinska

12. Controversial Issues in China
1. You must not mention that Taiwan is an independent state or a
country.
2. You must NEVER praise the Japanese or be seen to be good buddies
with them
3. You can condemn Mao Tse Tung but avoid criticizing Deng Hsiao Ping
4. You must not praise Shanghai in front of natives of Beijing and
similarly vice versa
Roksolana Zelinska

13. Gifts and Presents
Unlike earlier days when China was very poor, gifts, especially
of Western origin was especially appreciated. Today, China
produces and imports almost anything imaginable and gifts
are no longer a novelty
Roksolana Zelinska

14. Corporate Hierarchy / Boss and Subordinate
Relations
The decision-making system usually works from the top down, with
key decisions often coming from individuals in high positions of
power. There are formal and informal networking opportunities, but
generally, access to power is what determines action. This is
important to note when attending any kind of company meeting.
People will enter meeting rooms and other functions in hierarchical
order. Often, in the Chinese workplace, employees will not voice an
opinion until the opinion of the superior is known. A good
subordinate follows his boss’s lead, for better or worse, and
contradicting the boss in any circumstance must be done with great
diplomacy and tact
Roksolana Zelinska

15. Seniority is important in China
Seniority is very important to the Chinese especially if you are dealing with a
State owned or government body. Instead of addressing the other party as
Mr or Mrs, it is always appropriate to address the other party by his
designation eg. Chairman , Director or Manager.
When giving out name cards or brochures, make sure you start with the
most senior person before moving down the line. When giving out a name
card or receiving one, ensure that you are stretching out with both hands
with the card. Remember to face the card you are giving out in a manner
such that the recieving party gets it facing him correctly.
Tips: In China, it is assumed that the first person that enters the room is the
head of the group
Roksolana Zelinska

16. Survival Tips
• Bring a large supply of business cards
• Compliment someone in front of their boss and colleagues is an easy
way to win points
• Do not try too hard to "go Chinese"
Roksolana Zelinska

17. Learn a few words of Chinese
• Hello Thank you
ni hao xie xie
• Hello (honorific) Cheers (toast)
nin hao ganbei
Roksolana Zelinska

18. Always keep in mind
• Smile
• Be Professional
• Giving Face
• Keep learning beyond the “classroom”
• Make friends
(you can make friends via SNS online platforms: renren, QQ, sina
twitter etc.)
Roksolana Zelinska

19. Summary
• Chinese business negotiations nevertheless continue to be heavily influenced by
the peoplecentric
• philosophies of Confucius and Lao Tzu, and their core values of collectivism,
honor, respect,
• obedience, and harmonious relationships. China’s unique guo qing adds another
layer of complexity
• to negotiating behavior by shaping the decision-making process politically and
setting the tone for
• doing business with foreigners. The western business practices admitted through
China’s open door
• have paved the way for smoother communication during business negotiations,
albeit sometimes
• constrained by conflicting concepts or values
Roksolana Zelinska

20. Useful Recourses
• Magazines: TimeOut Beijing, Timeout Shanghai
- lifestyle, cuisine, Cultural events
• Newspaper: Modern Weekly
- News, Fortune, Cultural, City Life, Fashion
• TV CCTV9
-International News, classic Chinese culture
ICS ( International Channel Shanghai)
- local news, lifestyle
• http://www.goinglobal.com/
• http://ices.dhu.edu.cn/Category_57/Index.aspx?gclid=CjwKEAiAqMajBRCdjejki6yj
uDwSJACQeVukrQCdm46rzW1CUMcR69YYlwy8IZSTj4ZZo8DWKoJhsRoCnIbw_wc
B
• http://ices.dhu.edu.cn/Category_57/Index.aspx?gclid=CjwKEAiAqMajBRCdjejki6yj
uDwSJACQeVukrQCdm46rznfdjskn6jknks99999999nvklsdmlv0mvli
Roksolana Zelinska

21. • http://www.chinabusinessreview.com/negotiations-chinese-style
• https://hbr.org/2003/10/the-chinese-negotiation
• http://www.globalnegotiationbook.com/John-Graham-research/
negotiation-v1.pdf
• http://chinasolved.com/
• http://www.chinalawblog.com/2012/10/how-to-handle-chinese-negotiating-
tactics-part-four.html
• http://www.chinalawblog.com/2012/08/how-to-handle-chinese-negotiating-
tactics.html
Roksolana Zelinska

22. Thank you for attention
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