Intercultural Communications of China
A Brief History of China
China, also known as the Republic of China, is the world’s most populous country with more than 1.3 billion people. As one of the world’s four ancient civilizations, China is by far the most remote bounded to the east and south by the Pacific Ocean (Wright).
Pre-Imperial China took place between 1122 and 221 B.C. and was filled with tyranny and misery (Wright). Shang king forced his subjects to work and fight in battles to the breaking point, which led to uprisings. Early Imperial China took place between 221 B.C. and A.D. 589 and stirred up chaos and began the division of states. A rival state called Qin prevailed military over all other states and unified China under its rule (Wright). The Qin government was an aggressive recruiter of administrative and military talent. Middle and Late Imperial China took place between A.D. 589 and ca. 1800. During this time, China managed to pull itself back together under the Sui Dynasty. The first Sui emperor surveyed the farmlands and imposed new taxes on the landlords for charging outrageous rent (Wright). This change eventually led to the digging of a new canal that reconnected the northern and southern parts of China.
During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the British tried to persuade China to alter their practices, which then led to a war between the two countries and a Chinese Communist revolution (Wright). In the twentieth century, revolution and the People’s Republic caused turmoil and corruption in the country.
Today, China has entered a new communist era of stability with new policies and provisional government. As the largest importer and exporter of goods and the fastest growing economy, China has had phenomenal economic growth over the past century (Wright). China is the home to the largest army and provides a vast and diverse landscape.
What is Specific about China?
One of the first things to think about when analyzing the culture of China is its vast range. We are all aware of the size of China and the immensity of its population. But what China’s enormous scale does create is a complexity in their culture not found in many other regions. Most cultures experience a typical “urban-to-rural” cultural scale, but there is no greater differential than that found in China. Chinese culture lies on both end of that spectrum in extremes. It has some of our world’s most densely populated, economically concentrated cities, as well as some of the most sparsely populated, less productive fringes (Sangren). Despite that fact, the Chinese people tend to be one of the more united, cohesive cultures in the world due to their commitment to family and kinship.
Patrilineal descent (tracing descent exclusively through males from a founding male ancestor) is one of the most important aspects of Chinese culture (Sangren). In China, it is not uncommon for five generations of a family to live in the same house as “staying home” is also part of their ideal family organization. The patrilineal ideal has left China with a shortage of women and an overabundance of men, making it even more difficult to continue family descent and putting more pressure on men to find wives. However, family and kinship remain an important, distinctive part of the fabric of Chinese culture.
Religion and ritual also stick out as keystones in Chinese culture. Philosophical and religious traditions have exercised a massive amount of influence on Chinese culture for many years. Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism are the three traditions from the past that can be seen in traces in Chinese culture’s liturgical traditions. “For example, because of its emphasis on filial piety, ancestor worship is often considered to be in some sense Confucian (Sangren.)” Ancestor worship is a large part of faith in Chinese culture. Its complexities are what make Chinese culture so intriguing.
Similarities/Differences between Cultures
The Chinese culture is one of the oldest cultures in the world. There are many regions that are similar to China based upon the location of the region. For example, Northern China has a lot of similarities with Korea, whereas Southern China has more similarities with Vietnam. One similarity that China shares with other countries, such as Japan is their extremely rich culture (Morton). In addition to Japan, China shares a lot of the same natural resources as the United States. These resources include essentials such as coal, iron, and natural gas. Although the United States has the largest coal reserve in the world, China has the world’s largest hydropower potential which is believed to be the future of energy. Another similarity that China and United States have is the celebration of a New Year. The Chinese celebrate “Spring Festival” which is a 15-day celebration, which marks the beginning of the lunar new year (Zimmermann). China has formed its own identity over the past couple decades, trying to develop their own image.
Despite China’s extremely similar culture to Japan, their recent history has caused these two nations to divide into two very independent civilizations (Morton). In addition to Japan, China also has a lot of differences with the United States. China is the fourth largest country in the world, whereas the United States is the third largest by size. Despite the fact that United States is larger by size, China has the largest population in the world. Due to China’s extremely large and diverse population, and the fact that it is a communist nation, they do not have an official religious affiliation (Zimmermann). A major difference that China has with the rest of the world is their education system. China’s schooling system consists of a nine-year compulsory public education program, which is mandatory for all Chinese citizens. Although other countries have public educational services, not all are made mandatory by the government. China is one of very few nations to implement schooling rules such as these, and it appears to be paying off as they have passed many countries when it comes to literacy rates.
Interacting with the Chinese on a Business level
In order to successfully communicate with the Chinese we must first start to try to understanding the culture differences between our western civilizations and their fast paced environment. Their business relationships are mostly through referrals, which is how they are able obtain the best deal; also, most Chinese business relationships are considered to be very social ones as well (Understanding Chinese). Most of the time, the Chinese share their interests and hobbies amongst each other to try to get to know one another more as a person because they believe that in order to have the best business relationship that they must connect with each on personal level (Understanding Chinese).
In addition, seniority is very important in China; they do not like to be called “Mr.” or “Mrs.” They prefer to be called by their stance in the business. For instance, they like to be called “Senior Chairman” or “Senior Director” etc. (Understanding Chinese). This is very important when trying to interact with the Chinese in order to not offend them. Especially when doing business one does not want to get off on the wrong foot with them. When addressing or presenting the Chinese in a business-type setting one should always want to present themselves with two hands together and facing towards them as this is a sign as respect. Also, when giving gifts you want to give them a gift appropriate with their level in the business (Understanding Chinese).
If you ever get an opportunity to go out with a Chinese business partner the host must always pay the bill, not only the dinner, but for everything as well-meaning entertainment, drinks, or food (Understanding Chinese). It is considered rude to not enjoy drinks at lunch or dinner and they take it with a lot of disrespect, so you have to have at least one alcoholic drink to satisfy them. Common business drinks include things such as Chinese wine, red wine and beer (Understanding Chinese).
Lastly, there are some controversial issues in China that you should never bring up or talk about in conversation, as they can lead to ugly arguments. Topics that you should not mention include things such as, Taiwan being an independent state or country, you should never praise or talk highly of the Japanese, you should never praise Shanghai in front of natives of Beijing (Understanding Chinese). Following these guidelines will help trying to communicate effectively and engage in a meaningful business relationship with the Chinese.
References:
Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency, n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2014.
"China History." ChinaHighlights. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2014.
Morton, Scott W. China Its History and Culture. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1995.
Sangren, P.S. "China: Sociocultural Aspects." International Encyclopedia of the Social &
Behavioral Sciences (2001): 1733-38. ScienceDirect. Web. 8 Oct. 2014
Understanding Chinese business culture and etiquette. (n.d.). Understanding Chinese business culture and etiquette. Retrieved October 6, 2014, from http://www.chinese-culture.net/html/chinese_business_culture.html
Wright, David Curtis. The History Of China. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 2001. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 2 Oct. 2014.
Zimmerman, Kim Ann. “Chinese Culture: Customs and Traditions of China.”