Expats in China - Top 13 Localization Tips (

After my first post ‘Expats in China. Top 10 Survival Tips’, many friends and followers feedback that it was useful and they enjoyed the article. Celebrating the completion of my 2nd year in China, I decided to write a sequel and share some of my personal tips for localization. In keeping with higher inflation, I curated 3 more tips and hopefully, it is worth your time reading.

1. Clever use of Intermediary?- The use of a intermediary helps to save face for both parties. If person A calls you immediately after meeting person B to tell you a feedback about person B. The message is not intended for you but for you to convey to B. For A to tell B the feedback directly will give no room for face saving if B objects or does not agree.?
2. Perks of Seniority VS Efficiency?: The most senior person in the entourage will be expected to enter the lift first and also be the first to exit. This may sound counter-intuitive because in the spirit of efficiency, we are used to first in, last out where lift, a confined space with one exit is concerned. However in China, to allow first in and first out, the lift can only be half full. Otherwise, there is no way the rest can clear the path for the most senior person at the back to exit the lift first.
3. Dinner - A culture of positioning. The head of the table (usually indicated by a picture in the background or a specially folded napkin) is the host or the most senior person (if not in a host/guest situation). The person on the host immediate right is the most important guest, the immediate left is the next most important. The person opposite the host is the 2nd host (or supporting host) and usually the one who will pay the bill. I am sure there are better diagrams on the internet to illustrate this. One of them is:https://mandarinhouse.com/chinese-business-etiquette-seating-arrangement
4. Balancing the Yin & Yang?In a meeting, it is common for someone to start off his/her comments by starting with ‘I fully agree with ‘preceding person’’ but the content is far from that. It is merely polite to state that you agree even if you don’t. Similarly, it is common to balance a criticism with a compliment although to the locals, it is often clear where the emphasis is and whether is a net compliment or criticism. But for China newbies, it may not be so apparent.?
5. Conduct of meetings. In meetings, there is a sequence of asking for comments from the attendees. The most senior person will likely be the last to summarize and make the decision. The order of speaking, mimics the seating arrangement and will be from the outer (most junior) to the centre (most senior) . The minute taker pay most (or only) attention to the last person who will summarize and make the decision. Not surprisingly, it is often what this last person say that will be in the final meeting minutes. If any points given by the preceding speakers are not mentioned by the last (most senior) speaker, it is an implicit meaning that the point is not important or not taken up.?
6. Everyone’s Favorite topic. The minimum alcohol tolerance is half a standard bottle of?白酒?baijiu. This is because in the event that there is only you and the other party (one is host and one is a guest), and mostly likely a standard bottle of baijiu (500ml). Every toast will be to the other party and vice versa, without anyone else to toast to or divert attention to. Hence the bottle will be split down the middle, 250ml each of 53% baijiu, often Mao Tai. Hence to be able to continue a business negotiation soberly after that is vital for survival. So remember 130ml of pure alcohol!
7. Addressing someone. Besides?总，?老师?is a polite and general way of addressing someone. It doesn’t mean that his or her role is a teacher.?大妞is common in the north and stay clear from?小姐. In China,?小姐usual refers to girls from entertaining industry or working girls.??
8. Food Safety?Generally in China, perception of food hygiene and safety is not high. Most Chinese avoid eating food that is not fully cooked. For example, half boiled eggs are not commonly consumed. But I must admit that food hygiene and safety is improving in major Chinese cities. For example, it is not uncommon for local government to expect eateries to have live broadcast of the CCTV footage of the kitchen in the dining are so that the customers can help to be the ‘hygiene inspector’.
9. Chinese Name?For Singaporean China entering China immigration, do not give your Chinese name when asked because our SG passport usually do not contain the Chinese characters. Even if you mean hanyu pinyin, the Chinese system will enter it as Chinese characters. Likewise, the Chinese identity card and passport only take Chinese characters.?
10. Signature?A signature in China doesn’t mean your usual signature or a scribble. A signature usually refers to you writing your Chinese name that can be read and identifiable.?All Chinese registered companies have official stamps or what some Singaporeans refer to as ‘chop’. So it may be worth considering having your personal chop.
11. IT system?Chinese computer systems are configured for Chinese characters so they will recognize a capital ‘A’ and a small caps ‘a’ as 2 different characters. Yes, two totally different characters, as though they are as different as a and z. So for example, if asked for your bank account name for crediting of your salary, you have to be specific about the case (Caps or no caps) of your names and the exact spacing. Or else, be prepared to be rejected by the bank even if the alphabets are correct.
12. Driving?International Driving License is not recognized in China. All non-Chinese driving license holders need to take a China Driving theory test before converting to a local license before driving a car. And the passing standard is high, 90 for a 100 questions correct. But the saving grace is the theory test is available on all major foreign languages.?And yes, China drives on the right, I.e. slowest vehicle keeps right, opposite of Singapore and Commonwealth nations.
13. CCP?The Chinese Communist Party System runs through the whole country and through all systems both social and economic. Every government bodies and department from central, to provincial to city, to district and villages. Every Chinese registered company will likely have a party branch with a party secretary. And NO, it is not merely your union rep concept in Singapore. I won’t delve into the details of the CCP’s role but in essence, all major decisions need to be approved by the party secretary, more so for public than for private. For foreign??companies and foreigners, many don’t understand this fully and may dilute it down to someone who looks after government relations. Do so at your own perils.

Hope you find the above useful in one way or another. Please share with me your valuable feedback and comments for my own (and my followers’) learning. Thank you.

P/s The above is purely a reflection of my own personal views and opinions alone and does not reflect or represent the organizations that I am associated with.