The depth and complexity of Chinese culture, with its rich heritage, is fascinating – it is incredibly diverse with large variations in culture, language, customs and economic development. That’s why, we’re changing tact this post, and focusing on some unique customs and cultural norms that are not only interesting, but essential for successfully engaging with Chinese people … particularly if you’re hosting.
 

 
Numbers
Historically certain numbers, or combinations of numbers, have been considered as either lucky or unlucky, based on the similarity to some Chinese words. There is a particular fondness for even numbers, including:

‘6’, which symbolises smooth going
‘8’, which symbolises wealth

The exception is ‘4’, which sounds like ‘death’ in Chinese.
For example, when allocating hotel rooms to Chinese guests, try not to allocate any room with the number 4, particularly 4 and 14, which means ‘you are going […read more]

As you would have read in our previous post, conducting business with Chinese clients is usually a respectful, delicate and lengthy process. In this post, we’re discussing the finer pointers of negotiation and some tips how to drive a positive outcome for you and your business when dealing with Chinese clients.
In Western business culture, most business relationships start and finish the same way. Person A approaches Person B wanting to do business. Person A makes Person B a proposal. Person A and B discuss the details in a step-by-step manner. Person A and B agree and sign a contract. Person A and Person B begin their business relationship.
 

 
However, negotiating in China has been described as running a race without knowing where the finish line is. Once you understand the roots of Chinese culture, it’s […read more]

As China’s economy continues to surge and reshape the global marketplace, more and more businesses (domestic and abroad) are realising that doing business with Chinese businesses, consumers and clients is a potentially lucrative affair.
Profound social, economic and cultural changes have created a consumer market that is unlike ever before, and as a result, Chinese consumers are becoming increasingly selective in respect to customer experience and cultural norms. It is imperative that those attempting to take advantage of this opportunity understand and appreciate the nuances of Chinese business culture, etiquette, meeting protocol, and negotiation technique.
Conducting business with Chinese clients is usually a respectful, delicate and lengthy process. In this post, we’re focusing on a few key pointers for the initial stages of formalities.
 
 

 
The initial meeting

Punctuality is essential.
Seniority is […read more]

Chinese visitors to Australia surpassed 1 million for the first time last year and has more than doubled in the past five years.
Yep, Australia is red hot for Chinese tourism. Predicted strategical targets have been smashed and as reported in the Sydney Morning Herald,  “the value of Chinese tourism was initially estimated at between $7.4 billion and $9 billion a year by 2020, but annual spending has already exceeded this and more recent forecasts indicate it could be worth up to $13 billion by 2020.”
 

It’s not just tourism either …
Chinese investment in Australian real estate has surged by more than 400 per cent in just five years … property is now the number one Chinese investment in Australia. It’s even predicted Chinese investors will spend $44 billion over […read more]