Trifecta

Hello Post

If you are reading this post I gather that you work or live in China, are afflicted with "China Fever," or you are here by mistake by making a wrong turn on the information superhighway. I know I am in the right place however. I have long been interested in China, so when it came to starting a blog, China was the logical choice. I am an International Relations/Global Business major and I am very interested in what is going on in China's business sector.

I originally came up with a few ideas to title my blog before approaching some of my peers.

Crazy enough to do business in China?
Taming the dragon
Chinese private enterprise and the Chinese government: Who will bend first?

As you can see, "Taming the dragon" won out, and I assure you it won hands down. Additionally, it is the perfect moniker for a blog grappling with business in China. For those who partake, it can be quite a challenge.

China is an interesting case. Just a few decades ago China's doors were closed to the world, but the story today is starkly different. Travel there today and you will find that investors and businesses have entered this mystical land in search of the largest market of consumers on the planet. You want Starbucks? Try every other corner in Beijing or Shanghai (or any other city for that matter). McDonalds? Try every other corner. The West has flooded the market with restaurants, banking institutions such as the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), and goods and services of all kinds. Large foreign automobile companies have established manufacturing centers throughout China in an effort to widen their profit margins. China's cities and megacities are testaments to engineering and in some respects architectural achievement. Many of them rival other prominent cities of our time. A place where the old and the new are as present as it is a punch line; China is a land rich with opportunity.

However, before taking the plunge it is important to know a few things. I am by no means an expert, economist, businessman, or expatriate. I am simply a student and an individual who is studying business (in the global sense) and has an intense interest in China (and all things Chinese for that matter). I follow the news regularly and have traveled to China on several different occasions. My travels there have only driven my curiosity further and now I would like to someday work in China or work for a Sino-U.S. company here in the United States. I hope throughout the course of my first ever blogging environment to learn a great deal about this topic.

Business in China is such a vast topic. There are countless blogs, articles, and opinions on the matter. I hope to focus my efforts on a few areas. First, what a potential investor or entrepreneur should know before deciding to work in China. Next, what are the keys to success? Who are the prominent international players in Chinese markets? What are the latest trends and nuances? How is the Chinese economy weathering the current U.S. recession? Last, I want to explore the delicate relationship between the Chinese government and private enterprise. The last posting topic is particularly interesting and important as it not only shapes China, but the world at large. Chinese exports line our shelves here in the United States and are often available at a lower price. What would happen if the Chinese government tightened their fist or loosened their reins? In an effort to protect its culture, will China limit or deny access to certain foreign businesses? Or will it give way to the almighty dollar (yuan). In fact, China is even loosening its grips on internet filters, which have long been used to block out many western internet sites/companies/groups. Other topics that I may broach are social behaviors of the Chinese such as face and guanxi (networking and establishment of personal/professional relationships) and city profiles for some of the power players in China such as Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong.

For those still reading and interested in working in China or just fascinated about the topic, be advised that China is an intriguing place, but also fast paced and DENSELY populated! Each time I go there it seems my senses are heightened, my pulse more rapid, and my heart beats faster. There are cultural differences and practices to note. However, if you keep an open mind, you will find that it is an interesting ride, this place called China. Your business calling card awaits!

Voice Critique

"It is like having your own branch office in Asia." This, coming from the Silk Road International Blog. Of the many blogs I have been researching, I found Silk Road International Blog to be among the most interesting of the lot. Not only did it cover many topics from Chinese business to Chinese culture to personal stories, but it is also updated very frequently. One of the authors of this blog is David Dayton who has spent over a third of his life working in Asia. After reviewing his blog posts, I found he fits the mold of the expatriate that loves to do business in Asia (China now), but has issues with political environments, aspects of the culture, and the people involved. On one of his blogs, Mr. Dayton commented on the mood in Shenzhen (where he is currently based out of) during the Olympics torch relay. Apparently, a leg of the relay was going right through Shenzhen and though he did not plan on interrupting or protesting the relay (which was happening all over if you remember), he still wanted his 1/2 Chinese boys to see this piece of history for themselves. Long story short, he was cursed out by a Chinese (in Chinese no less) individual who was apparently not fond of foreigners. What came next seemed to me to be the voice of a naïve American, which really contradicts what Dayton is all about. For he is quite an accomplished and experienced business man who is fluent in both Mandarin and Thai. His exploits and achievements have also been chronicled in several interviews for prominent news and business networks and newspapers. However, as Dayton proceeds to discuss the aforementioned altercation he claims:

I’m surrounded by thousands of rabid, flag waiving patriots and I’m holding two babies, (both of whom are Chinese!!!

Doesn't he have a flair for the dramatic? While I am not trying to take potshots at Mr. Dayton, I do find that several of his posts have this quality. This quality of surprise and astonishment that not everybody likes us! Several of his posts comment on how government officials won't let him take pictures of certain things, or how a particular Chinese official or businessman/businesswoman is corrupt or shady. The voice that comes across to me from him is very "American" in this respect. What I mean by that is that he believes he should be liked and respected, even more so since he is married to a Chinese national etc. Unfortunately, the days of the Doughboys are over Buddy and if you work/live abroad it is my duty to inform you that you have to expect this kind of behavior from time to time. Of all people, he should know the social differences between Americans and Chinese. If you were wondering the name of this particular blog, it is "Foreigners not Welcome." Once again this is a bit dramatic based on a small unpleasant incident, but perhaps it was written when emotions ran high. The above quote of rabid Chinese even had multiple exclamation points to further the cause or perception that he was in "dire straits."

Another one of his posts is entitled "Attitude in China." In this particular post his voice changes. Instead of playing the victim, he takes the role of pointing the finger at everything that is wrong about China and the Chinese. Ok Ok, I understand their human rights record isn't tip top. But who are we to tell them? I am not going to go into specifics, but our boots aren't squeaky clean either. So as this particular posting continues, the blogger's voice continues to take the character of finger pointer/ranter. He talks of racism, unpleasant incidences that have changed his perceptions of the Chinese, and even provides this revelation:

I’ve been saying for almost 15 years that China has national-size insecurity complex. They’ve had it for at least 30 years (if not 100 years), but now you see it daily. They want to be welcomed onto the world stage as a player, but can’t handle the heat from the spotlight.

Further on, his rants become more concentrated and I even feel and sense the anger in his voice when he offers this:

CHINA—WELCOME TO THE WORLD STAGE—NOW DEAL WITH IT LIKE THE REST OF US.

The capital letters across the board was really striking and came across as an ultimatum. In Dayton's defense, his entire blog world is not like this. He has several posts which I plan to refer back to on his business experiences and I assure you he is not always ranting!

Profile Blog

A modern day Marco Polo. I believe I may have discovered yet another good resource for my blog. Not only is the blogger knowledgeable and versed in global business practices, he also has a lot of experience. This blogger, Boyé Lafayette De Mente, is a graduate of Jochi University in Tokyo and the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Arizona. Additionally, he has written over 50 books on various aspects of business, culture, and languages of China, Japan, Korea and Mexico. Along with studying in Tokyo, he also worked as a journalist and editor working in Seoul, Hong Kong, and Mexico City, among others.

De Mente blogs about many topics that deal with business and social aspects of Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Mexican culture and currently resides in Arizona. De Mente's blog, entitled "Cultural Insight Columns by Boyé Lafayette De Mente," is quite extensive with over 30 topic categories and a multitude of posts. The blog is not maintained daily as the posts occurred throughout April and May of this year. However, links exist that can take you to some of his other works and affiliated websites.

As far as the popularity of the blog is concerned, I am a little unsure. The blog seems to have a collection of various articles or topics that De Mente has written about. There are no comments visible on the blog, but upon doing research I noticed several of his articles have been commented on (mostly favorably). Also, from researching De Mente, I have learned that he is internationally known for his work. Even if his blog is unpopular, I do see a wealth of good information for my topic discussion. Two of the more interesting posts are "'Face' in China" (http://culturalnews.wordpress.com/category/face-in-china/) and "The extraordinary importance of connections in China" (http://culturalnews.wordpress.com/category/aspects-of-chinese-culture/.) Just by scanning the post on "face" I discovered this valuable nugget:

The Chinese concept of “face” is very personal, and covers any act, comment, tone of voice or even facial expression that indicates criticism or disapproval. Because of this extraordinary sensitivity, foreign managers should be cautious about criticizing or disciplining employees in public.

This blog is very relative to my topic. De Mente's posts on cross-cultural issues in business and social environments between China and the West is an important building block for anyone who wants to understand how the business environment actually works in China. Certain practices in the West may not apply or may not be as emphasized in China. For example, in China there is less focus on individualism and more of an emphasis on establishing connections. These connections are known as guanxi, and are mentioned briefly in some of my other blog posts.

De Mente's blog is scholarly, academic, and professional as many of the topics and texts are pulled from his existing works. As I mentioned before, his articles and books are internationally recognized and much of what he is writing about is based on his experiences in dealing with these different cultures. The blog posts themselves are very detailed and I liked how they provided links to other resources and some of De Mente's other blogs. De Mente's audience most likely is or would be foreigners working and living abroad and those planning to do so. Additionally, students such as me also fit the category.

I plan on using De Mente's blog for some of my writing, though it will not be a lynchpin, nor will my site mirror his. De Mente's works seem to focus on interpersonal relationships at the lowest level. While some of these issues are important, I also want to look at "bigger picture" economic issues and the relationship between the Chinese government and the market sector. With that being said, in order to understand the more complex relationships at the higher level, knowledge of relationships at lower levels is a must. De Mente will help me better understand these relationships. As De Mente stresses in his blog about connections:

The personal as well as the professional lives of Chinese are based on making and keeping connections with a variety of people they can call on for help of one kind or another. Such guanxi are especially important in matters that involve government offices on any level.

Another way my blog will differ from De Mente's is that I will also be blogging about issues and topics as they occur with an eye on current events. The nature of China is one that is undergoing rapid change and there is certainly more to come.