Understanding the rationale driving Chinese business behaviors. Practical guidance for non-Chinese executives working with Chinese partners.
Warm, polite...and completely unreadable
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Issue No. 2 · April 14, 2026 Warm, polite...and completely unreadableMy husband Ashbey told me something once that has stayed with me. He said he finds it exhausting to talk to Chinese people sometimes. Not because of the language. He said they want to say something, but they only say half of it and leave you to figure out the rest. Or they use words that are vague enough to mean almost anything. He said he never really knew what the other person meant. He was always guessing. I asked him: how often did you guess right? He thought about it. Then he said: I have no idea. Because I never found out what the answer was. In March 2026, the US and China wrapped up talks in Paris. The joint statement used words like: candid, in-depth, constructive, reached partial consensus, agreed to continue consultations. You read it and still don't know what happened. And that's not because of diplomatic language. Your Chinese counterpart talks the same way. After a meeting, they say "very good, let's keep in touch." You don't know if that means things are genuinely good, or if it's just a polite way of ending the conversation. You go back and wait. Nothing comes. You start wondering what you did wrong. Ashbey's exhaustion, I understand it. Because you're operating in one language system, and they're operating in another, but both of you think you're speaking the same language. A lot of people spend years doing business in China without ever realizing this gap exists. That gap is one of the most real and most overlooked parts of doing business across these two worlds. Learning to navigate it changes everything. |
The China Fluent Newsletter
Understanding the rationale driving Chinese business behaviors. Practical guidance for non-Chinese executives working with Chinese partners.
Issue No. 5 · May 19, 2026 In China, 10pm is still work hours I saw a headline this week about China's 996 work culture. For those unfamiliar, 996 refers to the practice of working 9am to 9pm, six days a week. It's been debated in China for years. But it reminded me of a conversation I had recently with a new friend from Russia. She asked me, genuinely curious: "Is it true that Chinese people work incredibly long hours? That some of them even sleep at the office?" I told her: yes, that...
Issue No. 4 · May 10, 2026 What “Whatever” Really Means in Chinese Business Communication One evening, my husband asked me where I wanted to eat dinner. I said "whatever you want." He picked a place. I made a face. He has learned, since then, that "whatever" does not mean whatever. It means: I have a preference, but I'm not going to tell you what it is. You're supposed to figure it out. One day he looked at me and said: you know, you sound exactly like the Chinese business partners I used to...
Issue No. 3 · April 21, 2026 In America You Can Talk to Anyone, In China You Need a Reason The first time I went hiking in the United States, something kept happening that I didn't expect. Every person walking toward me on the trail would look up, make eye contact, and say something. "Good morning." "Beautiful day." "How's it going?" Complete strangers. People I had never seen and would never see again. I said hello back. But inside, I was quietly noting something: this would almost never...