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BUSINESS MEETINGS IN CHINA [ARE DIFFERENT]

Meetings are also different in China. While in America people prefer to get right down to business, the Chinese would find that type of approach to be rude. They begin all meetings by exchanging business cards. The cards allow them to learn a great deal of information about the individual with whom they are meeting without requiring them to ask a lot of prying questions. Following this formality, most meetings begin with tea and some brief informal conversation. While to most American business people this activity may seem cumbersome, particularly if they are on a tight schedule, the Chinese feel it is important to form a relationship of friendship and trust before discussing important topics.

NEGOTIATING IN CHINA

Negotiations can also be difficult for Westerners to get used to. For example, while most Americans have no trouble declining an offer, the Chinese try to avoid saying anything negative. Instead, they indirectly hint toward the fact that the proposition has been refused. First time negotiators in China may not pick up on the subtle hints unless they listen carefully. Also, many negotiators feel elated because the Chinese businessmen seem to say yes to almost everything, so they feel that everything is going smoothly. However, most of these affirmative responses have no real meaning. Furthermore, most of the negotiation proceedings will not take place in a boardroom or office but will be conducted over dinner or lunch – often with alcoholic beverages served. For the Chinese, entertainment and business go hand in hand.

3 BIGGEST BUSINESS MISTAKES

The three biggest mistakes companies make when dealing with China is not using a knowledgeable consultant, not using a competent translator and not sending their top people. Because details are important in business, a translator can ensure that everyone is on the same page with the arrangements and can prevent miscommunication from undermining lucrative deals. Plus, the Chinese place a great deal of importance on rank and seniority. By taking some of these steps and by being aware of the cultural differences, companies can more effectively source goods and services from China.

DIALECTS SPOKEN

In China, there are 4 municipalities (Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin and Chongqing), 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions and 2 special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau). A famous Chinese linguist stated that including minorities, China has 56 races. The largest race is Han – where the main dialect spoken is Mandarin. Among the 56 different races, there are more than 8 types of totally different languages spoken. Since the largest race is Han, Mandarin became China’s official language. When dialects are talked about in China, mainly Han’s dialect or Mandarin is mentioned. Generally speaking, there are 7 large categories of dialects in Chinese (Han). Even when one main category of dialect is spoken, like Mandarin, Cantonese, or Shanghainese, the actual accents in different cities are slightly different from region to region. How many different dialects are spoken in China? Well, that is hard to say, but most stats you will find state 200 or more. Take Taiwan as an example, it used to have 23 different dialects spoken, but these days nearly 13 of these are no longer used. See the picture below showing the different languages spoken.

See the map to get an idea of where the different dialects are spoken and go here for more info about the Chinese language.

LUCKY NUMBERS!

In Chinese communities around the world, the number “8″ is considered the most fortuitous of numbers, making it much coveted for addresses, phone numbers and bank accounts.” An eight not only portends prosperity, but confidence and money worth even millions, depending where you are.

“In Hong Kong, a personal license plate with the number eight can cost millions of dollars,” says Alhambra, California developer Raymond Cheng, who was born and reared in the British colony. “A single eight on your license plate gives you status. People know you have to pay top dollars for it.”

For centuries, this ancient culture has held eight as the most fortuitous of numbers. Early Chinese settlers coming to California a century and a half ago brought their beliefs with them, passing them on to the new generations. Since the ’70s, with the influx of moneyed immigrants to the state from Taiwan and Hong Kong, the traditional tenet about the number eight has moved beyond the gates of Chinatowns to become an American suburban fact of life.

Chinese home buyers in the San Gabriel Valley routinely look for an eight in a street address, viewing it as an added value. Some try to have their home address changed to include an eight. Others seek to rid a number, such as a four–considered unlucky because it sounds like the Chinese word for “death.” Many pay to get as many eights as they can in phone, email, web sites and license numbers. There are many 888 Chinese restaurants around the U.S.

“If they get a phone number or a checking account with a lot of eights, they’re extremely happy,” says Councilwoman Judy Chu of Monterey Park, who is Chinese American. Next door in Alhambra, Raymond Cheng and his wife, Tina, have a lot of eights between them. His business phone is (818) 282-2828. His fax number: (818) 282-0283. Their three cars, a Rolls-Royce and his and her Mercedes-Benzes also have ample sprinkling of the number eight. And, naturally, their home phone and street address are sprinkled with eights. (His parents’ Hong Kong flat is on the 18th floor and the street number on their San Francisco home is 18.) But his wife ventures: “All things being equal, an eight gives you added confidence.”

“Asians in general and Chinese in particular believe in sounds and figures that reflect good fortune and good luck,” Liao says. “It doesn’t cost you anything to believe in good luck. If you have a license number with an eight, you drive more comfortably. If you live in a house with an eight, you live more comfortably. Thinking that you are blessed, you perform better,” he says. The value of the number eight is also tied to the Chinese affinity for homonyms. “The Chinese like to make use of sounds that make them feel comfortable,” says Liao, a linguist by training. The phonetic sound of eight, ”baat” in Cantonese and between “pa” and “ba” in Mandarin, is similar to “faat,” meaning prosperity, say native Mandarin and Cantonese speakers. When you have two eights, as in the area code 818, it’s doubly pleasing to the Chinese ear. “You’re literally hearing prosperity and more prosperity,” Liao says.

The number eight doesn’t have the same appeal to the Japanese or Koreans, whose cultures have been influenced by the Chinese — but all three cultures are united in their avoidance of the number four.

Many buildings in Asia do not have a fourth floor. Councilwoman Chu, who is American-born, said she did not give much thought to Chinese numerology until she tried to sell a condo with an address 624 in the San Gabriel Valley. “A number of Chinese came to look at it, but I could not sell it,” Chu says. “Finally, I sold it to a white guy.”

Chinese American historian Suellen Cheng also doesn’t consider herself superstitious, but the curse of four is so pervasive in her culture, she is reminded of it on occasion. “My house address has a four,” says Cheng, a curator at El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument. “Sometimes when I am really depressed over something, I think, ‘Oh it’s because of my house number,’ ” she laughs.

Eight years ago this day, 8-8-88, certified public accountant Saykin Foo of Los Angeles bought eight lottery tickets to test his luck. He did not win. Undaunted, Foo says he’ll try his luck again today. “It’s a cultural thing,” he says. “I grew up with it. It’s part of my life.”