PAGEPAGE6Whatischina?Thepeople`sRepublicofchina,commonlyknownaschina,islocatedineastAsiaandborders14nations,morethananyothercountyintheworld.It’sthemostpopulatedstateintheworldwitha1.3billioncitizenswhiletheworld’spopulationis6.8billion,thatmeansoutofevery5peopleintheworld,oneisChinese.China’smadeof56distinctethnicgroupswithHANChinesemakingthe92%ofitswholepopulation.Chinaisasingle-partystategovernedbytheCommunistPartyofChina,whosepowerisenshrinedinChineseconstitution.ThoughChinaisofficiallyanatheist(無神論)country,itsreligiousrootsliewithinConfucianism,BuddhismandTaoism,andfromthesemostsocialmoralvaluesarederived.TherearealsoasignificantnumberofChineseMuslimswhoarrivedthroughthesilktraderoadandstillretainedtheirdistinctculture.HISTORYChinaisoneoftheworldoldestcivilizationsdatingbackmorethan5millionyearsandwasruledbysuccessivedynastiesuntil1912,duringthesetime,manygreatdiscoveriesinfieldsofscienceandtechnologyweremadeincludinginventionsofprinting,paper,gunpowderandcompass.Thisperiodalsosawtheconstructionofmanylandmarkssuchasthegreatwallwhichstretchesover4000miles,equalsto30returntravelsfromLondontoParis.Afteraperiodofforeignoccupationandcivilwar(在抗戰(zhàn)和內戰(zhàn)結束后)theCommunistPartyofChinaledbyMaogainedthecontrolofmainlandChinain1949andestablishedPeople`sRepublicofChina.ThemodernChinaoftodayisasmuchshapedbyitspastasitrapidlyendmanyoldwaysandlookintothefuturewhilemanyofitsbigcitiesarecomparabletoanyofthewest,theunderlyingcultureisstillvastlydifferent,travelingoutsidethelargeurbanareasalsohighlightsthegrowingdisparitybetweenrichandpoor.LANGUAGEChineseisthemostwidelyspokenlanguageintheworldaswellasoneofthemostunintelligible(最難懂的)forforeigners.TherearemanyregionaldialectsofChinesealthoughthemostwidelyspokenisMandarinandCantonese.Chinesecharactersevolvedovertimefromearlierformsofhieroglyphs(象形文字).Chinesecontainsover40000characters,butwelleducatedcanrecognizearound6000characters,some3000arerequiredtoreadnewspaper.CHINESECALENDARChinesezodiacschemerelateseachyeartoananimal.Thisisandintroducetoothers.Generallyyouwillfindhotandspicyinthewesternandcentralchinaandcoolerfoodinthesouthandnorth.AChinesediningtableisusuallyroundallowingeveryonetoengageequallyinconversation.Itwillbesetwithemptybowls,plates,andchopsticksforeachperson,fooddishesareplacedintothecentreofthetabletobesharedbetweeneveryone.Don’tbeputoffifyouseepeoplespittingbonesandseedsontotheplate,thisisperfectlynormal,contrarytowhatyoumightfindinyourlocalChinatown.Chinesefoodisgenerallyhealthyandoftenbeautifullypresented;textureflavorcolorandaromaarekeyconsiderationsforallChinesecooksevenabovenutritiouscontents.Chinesediningisaboutshowingrespectandhospitalityfortheguestsandisoftenusedasanextensionoftheboardroom.Heavydrinkingisoftenapartofdoingbusinessanditisexpectedthatyouwillkeepupwithothers,ifyoudonotwanttodrinkalcohol,makeitclearbeforeyoustart.

CoreconceptsFACE面子Theconceptoffacecanbelooselydescribedassomeonesocialstatusorreputationintheeyesofothers,throughoutaChineseperson’slifeitmustbemaintainedandenhancedthroughgivingtoandreceivingfromothersinbothwordsandactions(中國的人一生都必須用語言和行動相互維護和提升面子)，itmaybesomethingassmallaswhocangetintheliftfirsttotheawardingofmulti-milliondollarcontracts(可以小到誰先乘電梯，也可以達到百萬美元合同的授予).Butwithoutityouwillhaveverylittlepowerorinfluence,tomakesomeonelosefaceorevenunknowingly(即使無意中讓別人沒面子)，isahugedishonorandcouldmeantheendofarelationship.CONNECTIONS關系GAUNXIliterallymeans“connections”or“relationship”thatessentiallyboilsdowntoexchangeoffavors:youscratchmybackIwillscratchyours”(關系本質上就是個人利益的聯(lián)系，你給我撓癢癢，我也幫你撓癢癢)。Itcanlooselybecomparedtotheideaofnetworkinthewest(跟西方社會的人際關系網(wǎng)絡類似)。Butitusuallygoesmuchfurtherintermsofdevelopingandnurturingtherelationshipthroughsocialexchangesandfavorswhichmustberepaidatgreatervalueatatime.Relationshipbetweenfamilies,friendsandbusinessassociatesareoftencloselyinterwoven(關系緊密交織)。Insuchanenvironment,issuesofcorruptionarenotuncommonwhenGUANXIapplicationtakesprecedenceovernormalrulesorlaws.DOCTRINEOFTHEMEAN中庸KnownastheDOCTRINEOFTHEMEANorgoldenmeanthisconceptinvolvesbalancedpositionamongthegrouptomaintainconformityandasenseofharmony(中庸之道是指某人保持跟群體一致與和諧).TodothiswhilestillachievingonespersonalobjectivesisconsideredbytheChinesepeopletheidealwayofliving.Thiscanbeappliedtotheworkplacewhereoneshouldbehaveinawaywhichseemstobeneitherambitiousnorlazyatthesametime.Chinesepeopleneveropenlycriticize,ignoreormakefunofapersoninfrontofothersevenjokethem.Whendiscussingindividualperformances,theyalwaysemphasizegoodpointsbeforebadones.DIFFERENCES差異Chinesemayaskyoupersonalquestionsormakeobservationaboutyourage,income,religionorappearance,don’ttakeitpersonally;likewiseChineserarelysaypleaseorthankyou,asthisisseenasunnecessaryformalitybetweenfriendsorfamily.InaChinesemeeting,oftenthemostseniorattendeeswilltalkandallquestionsshouldbedirectedtothosepeople.Silenceisnotasignofweaknessofchina,oftentheunsaidmessageismoreimportantthanwhathasbeensaid.Tobesuccessfulinchinarequiresdifferentwaysofthinking.AfamousChinesehistoricprofessorputsthistotheword:theChinesepeoplearefrankyettactful,honest