Has the nature of Guanxi changed in the post-COVID era of doing business in China?

Thirteen years ago, my personal driver in Shanghai invited my wife and me to a lavish, relatively speaking, dinner party to celebrate my birthday with his relatives. This dinner celebration is unusual for any Western leader assigned a driver in China because these drivers usually lack the Guanxi or cultural incentive to suggest such a gesture to their clients. In the Chinese hierarchical system, the higher-level person usually organizes and pays for these occasions.

Why did my driver, XiaoHe (小何), insist on this overture, and what were the reciprocal personal benefits, referred to 利益 (Lìyì), in Chinese?

#ChinaBusiness #ChineseCulture #Covid19 #Psychology #Communications #China #CCP #USChina #Tradewar #Geopolitics

http://provocativechina.com/

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is an all-time classic picture book, from generation to generation, it has sold somewhere in the world every 30 seconds.

But, how well does it translate into Mandarin Chinese?

Watch, listen, and learn with the latest MANDARIN STORYTIME where we curate imagination-provoking stories with Mandarin Chinese translations for all of our cross-cultural kiddos.

Watch Video: https://youtu.be/A4ynsLmP_ew

#ericcarle #hungrycaterpillar #storytime #kidsbooks #mandarinchinese #culturalstories #learnchinesefree #learnchinese #Mandarin

Enjoy the second Mandarin Storytime video, where we continue to curate imagination-provoking stories and Mandarin Chinese translations for our cross-cultural kiddos.

This is the story of a persistent problem and the child who isn't so sure what to make of it. The longer the problem is avoided, the bigger it seems to get. But when the child finally musters up the courage to face it, the problem turns out to be something quite different than it appeared.

What Do You Do With a Problem? is a story for anyone, at any age by #1 New York Times Best Seller, Kobi Yamada, but how does this story read in Chinese? Does it capture the same imagination and inspiration in Mandarin?

#storytime #kidsbooks #mandarinchinese #Chineseculture #culturalstories #learnchinesefree #learnchinese #Mandarin #KobiYamada

https://youtu.be/JCjW5UP1Krg (Watch on YouTube)

Gene's What Do You Say (to a friend from China) children's books can be found on Amazon, Kindle, and Audible.

https://www.amazon.com/Gene-J.-Hsu/e/B092FYDCN7

Raising my 4-year-old son, Jayden, in Irvine, California, has inspired me to create the type of content I would like to share with him growing up in a multicultural environment with so many classmates from China.

My goal is to curate and translate imagination-provoking stories for all cross-cultural kiddos who aspire to excel in the collective harmony of US-China relations.

Listening to great stories while learning a little Mandarin Chinese is excellent exposure for our kids today, and I hope you can watch this video with your little one, too.

#storytime #kidsbooks #mandarinchinese #Chineseculture #culturalstories #learnchinesefree #learnchinese

https://youtu.be/voG4GzRhdl8 (Watch Full Video)

#DiverseBooks #CulturalAwareness #LearnChinese #MulticulturalKids #ChineseCulture

Purchase on Amazon

A perfect "What do you say to a Friend from China" companion to listen, read, and learn with your little one, this audio production includes Jayden's real voice to create an interactive, immersive listening experience. What daddy's says is spoken by his real daddy.

This is the story of a boy, Jayden, who meets a strange kid from a foreign land who doesn't speak English and doesn't know how to share. They meet each other at the same playground every day. Their initial interaction isn't pleasant. Still, they learn to share, explore new things, and become best friends.

Gradually, through curiosity and imagination, they become best friends. This is a story for anyone, at any age, who wants to make lasting friends across cultural similarities. It's a story to inspire you to welcome diversity, celebrate differences, and embrace the ups and downs of making new friends that last forever.

Jayden always remembers what "his daddy says," even if he doesn't always behave accordingly, so parents can gently teach their little ones positive life lessons like sharing and being thoughtful of others.

So, what will you say next time when you meet someone new?

Purchase on Amazon

Isn't the Art of War predicated on overcoming opponents psychologically?

More important than China's five thousand years of continuous history is the collective memory and experiences of Chinese people today and how it affects their cultural psychology for business negotiations and cooperation.

Few people approach cross-cultural communications with this degree of empathy, but should we?

UPCOMING BOOK

Strategic Pragmatism for De-Risking Post-COVID China: Circumnavigating Cultural and Psychological Landmines Inside the Chinese Arena is a timely and indispensable guide for Westerners seeking to understand how to collaborate with Chinese stakeholders in the post-pandemic era. Drawing upon an overview of China's historical relationship with the West and how perceptions and misperceptions evolve, this book helps readers develop a winning approach to managing the interpersonal relationships they will need to succeed—Guanxi. This book serves students, entrepreneurs, and business leaders curious about assembling a repertoire of tactics and strategies that better align with the emotional psychologies of Chinese players and the rigid national sentiments they exhibit inside the Chinese arena.

New Author Page: https://www.provocativechina.com/

How have the keys to success evolved in China's NEW post-Covid Normal?

Regardless of your opinions about China, you are undoubtedly aware of our collective challenge to improve cross-cultural communication and work more collaboratively. Prior misunderstandings that could more easily be forgiven or even funny are more contentious today and require a higher level of awareness to reconcile.

COVID-19, Trumpism, and heightened nationalism in the Xi era created a perfect storm of skepticism on both sides that will cascade into dysfunction without new communication patterns to combat its fatigue.

Psychological Awareness Tactics and Solutions in upcoming episodes

http://provocativechina.com/

#ChinaBusiness #ChineseCulture #Covid19 #Psychology #Communications #China #CCP #USChina #Tradewar #Geopolitics

Pragmatic Psychology Explained!

Which factors are most important for navigating China business today?

I believe two ideas capture the essence of piloting your Guanxi engine toward the best possible outcomes in the Chinese business arena...

Pragmatism and Psychology.

#chinabusiness #chineseculture #artofwar #guanxi #communications #negotiations #psychology

https://www.provocativechina.com/blog/sp6