Building a Bridge of Cross-Cultural Communication – From the Other Side

By Michael J. Jordan

SUMMIT, N.J. – Say what you want about Huawei, the controversial Chinese telecoms giant. But there’s no denying its remarkable rise during its 33 years of existence, starting from a humble apartment in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, then evolving into the world’s largest maker of telecommunications equipment, its largest seller of smartphones, and now a global force in the 5G revolution.

There’s also no denying the fact that despite the harsh accusations that Trump Administration officials hurl at Huawei – that its products pose a “national-security threat” – they’ve yet to provide concrete, credible evidence to support their charges. This from a White House notorious for falsehoods.

That’s striking to me, as an evidence-driven kind of guy. I won’t delve too deeply into the politics of it, except to say that working for Huawei these past few months – as a Global Communications Consultant and Content Creator – has been one of the most fascinating challenges of my career. Just as it was to spend one illuminating year on “the inside” of Chinese state media – for the China Global Television Network (CGTN) – working as a News Editor, Scriptwriter and foreign-media analyst.

I won’t divulge specifics of my Huawei work, due to a non-disclosure agreement. But I appreciate the broader symbolism of my latest cross-cultural role: as a human “bridge-builder” between the world’s two-largest economies and emerging geo-political rivals.

For example, I’ve analyzed and critiqued all of Huawei’s Communication products (videos, articles) published from January-August this year, providing recommendations on how to improve them; shared insights into China’s foreign audience – and how to communicate messages more persuasively; analyzed and critiqued dozens of articles about Huawei produced by major foreign media; shared insights into the psyche of Western media – and how to pitch stories more effectively.

Throughout it all, I’m mindful of the one-two Communications punch I preach via my MJ Method skills: the need for concrete, credible evidence – to persuade the mind of a smart-but-skeptical audience – and humanized storytelling that spotlights our “shared humanity” – to touch their heart.

I know, I know. It’s a bit unorthodox for an American to work for “the other side,” especially at a time of heightened tensions. Indeed, few of us have a rare insider’s perspective of both sides of this great divide. But I will humbly say: with more observers warning of a “New Tech Cold War,” the world needs more human bridges, to help explain one side to the other.