Question

Reviewing how negotiations took place from the arrival to the departure of the Canadians, do you think the Chinese orchestrated the negotiations to put their Canadian counterparts at a disadvantage? If so, how?

Answer 1

Nagotiations will never go disagvantage, as both are huge nations in the world, nagotioations will get good advantage. China is the third largest country in the world (Canada being the second-largest), and it is often the case that people working in a particular city aren’t born and raised in that city. So a good topic of conversation for a first meeting would be "What part of China are you from?" The "hometown" is often a topic of pride and it’s also an important way for a non-local to understand the diversity and interests of people from China.

Depending on the non-local’s work relation to the person being asked, work is a good discussion topic. If the non-local is working in a position of authority (i.e., a foreign manager or colleague) don’t expect direct answers about the organization under discussion. On the other hand, China has undergone incredible social and economic changes in the past two decades, changes that elicit much general discussion and interest.

The family is a very important social unit in China. However, it’s better not to ask a question like "Are you married?" since marital status can be somewhat sensitive for the person being asked (although there is a good chance you will be asked such a question, and in that case asking such a question would be no problem). A general question like "Do you have family in this city?" might be more appropriate for a first meeting.

Food is a good topic of discussion.. Like the topic "hometown," China has very varied and rich culinary traditions including hometown and regional variations.

Politics should be avoided on a first meeting. There are many sensitive political issues in China best avoided on a first meeting. Political, like cultural perspectives, take some time to get used to.

Humour is important and much appreciated in China. For a non-local in China, misunderstandings abound, and there is plenty of cause for self-effacing anecdotes that highlight the sometimes awkward position of a newly arrived foreigner.