After thinking for a while, I realized that this reflection requires me to reevaluate this recent experience and my past experiences in China together, in a manner that I have never done. China is neither home, nor completely foreign to me. I have travelled to China numerous times, and although not perfect, I speak the national language and two dialects. To a certain extent, I understand China and accept it, but I can never (or I highly doubt I will ever) call it home nor will I ever be completely comfortable there. The part that amazed me the most was meeting all these people and companies who have entered China, made it their base, and made it their homes. To achieve, accept and recognize so much, commands respect from me. It is unbelievable how they have taken this seemingly chaotic country with its own rules, leveraged everything, and created a place if not a pedestal for themselves. The points that were prevalently discussed appeared to be the way business is conducted and how it interrelated with the environment and culture of China.
I believe the first thing everyone has to come to terms with is that China is a developing country. Many standards deemed “normal” or “minimal” in developed countries cannot be applied in China. Most people are aware of these deficiencies such as the lack of hygiene, and the lack of a good working environment in some factories. However, as is the same with all change, change takes time. We must provide allowances and give China time to change. I feel that it is perfectly fine to have personal opinions as everyone is entitled to that, but at the same time, we should strive to understand the situation too. China has grown more in 10 years than almost any other country. The old, dusty streets that were once filled with bicycles are now replaced with large highways, while towering skyscrapers supplants the farmlands and villages of “once upon a time.” Handel Lee’s picture of Shanghai’s change is proof of this amazing advancement.
For a developing country where it is easy to tell when one is foreign, everyone who isn’t local is there to help the economy via “extra-contributions.” Despite accepting this as a part of life, I am not comfortable with the idea of it. I am more against the day-to-day cons such as that of taxi drivers as compared to more “legal” bargains. Bargaining is done on a day-to-day basis regardless of country. You see it when a companies and individuals sign contracts where an exchange is conducted, be it service/goods for service/goods or service/goods for money. Usually these companies and individuals negotiate to achieve a set price, which is the same as bargaining, just on a more refined level.
Following that, the difference present in China is that contracts are difficult to enforce, which leads us to the concept of “guan xi” or “关系”. This concept was reiterated in almost every company we had the honor of visiting. Relationships are very important in such an environment because partnerships between individuals and companies are made to be long-term. When a partnership is formed, it is for the mutual benefit of the company and trust is required partially because you would like the contract to be fulfilled and partially because if you want a long-term partnership, you would like it to be with someone who cares for you/your company and whom you trust to act in the best interest of the both of you. Although not formalized or legalized, there are repercussions to breaking a contract without valid reasons. These repercussions are long-term repercussions on a social and financial level as other people will be wary of you and your company. Perhaps the concept of “guan xi” stems from ancient China when groups or “brotherhoods” existed. When one joins a “brotherhood,” one is expected to place the interest of said brotherhood before oneself and loyalty is of the utmost importance. In return, the entire brotherhood will also care for you and your interest. In extreme cases, one is supposed to be willing to lay down one’s life for the brotherhood. As such, the important of trust in each other was extremely important. One will only be accepted into the brotherhood when there is trust.
Another heritage of China would have to be the gift-giving culture. Gifts are given as signs of thanks, during celebrations, as a part of courtesy, as give-and-take gifts, and as a sign of power and wealth. Bribery is present in any society. However, in China, it is further incited by the low wages government officers receive, and extrapolated by the presence of the gift-giving culture of the Chinese. The amount and/or type of bribery practiced in China has been getting more and more extravagant as the years pass and ironically, this is reflected back upon the gift giving culture of the Chinese. The gifts given started becoming more a symbols of power and wealth than a sign of sincerity. Couple this together with the give-and-take belief of the Chinese and it becomes an endless cycle of gifts. On a side note, gifts can also be favors. Although not a part of bribery and not a part of gifts, this culture is also shown when paying for meals. This thought was first brought up during one of the meals with my friends. This practice is so common to me that I have never really thought much about it, it is interesting to see it in a new light. During meals, only one person/family ever pays. This makes everyone feel good as they are being treated. However, in retrospect, the person/family who was treated is then obligated to treat the person/family who pays next time. Unlike in America where everyone pays for himself or herself, the “feel-good” feel during meals is treasured, and a crucial part of the relationship-building in Chinese culture.
Last but definitely not least, China seems to have no rules, and yet, I would argue otherwise. China has rules, just that its rules are ever evolving, and not yet set in stone via legal systems. Most of China’s rules are unspoken. With thousands of years of civilization behind it, China has a long history and a long memory. Its history of thousands of years of trade, and thousands of years of rule, has made it accustomed to certain forms of operations. Contrary to the usual means of legal enforcement, China’s unspoken rules such as “guan xi” and the culture of gift giving are socially enforced. This enforcement is quite effective because of the collectivist culture of China. Everything is thought of in terms of generations, which translates to perhaps centuries. With a long memory, each mistake, each kindness, is clearly remembered. This means that each wrong, and each kindness is to be eventually repaid, if not by the present generation, then by the next. These memories will be passed down the family line and to wrong someone of a certain “social circle” is to essentially wrong the entire “circle.” Thus, although enforcement is not as immediate nor as effective, this ancient way of living still continues to this day. Sooner or later, the Chinese government will lay down its laws and then contracts can be easily formed and enforced. For now, this method has its own way of working.
All in all, China is a land of its own rules; nonetheless, it is rapidly changing. To see China’s transformation in our lifetimes is incredible. As East meets West, only the most beneficial and practical of both cultures will survive. China has thousands of years of history, and it has the development history of the West to learn from. The China that will emerge from all these changes will be one to behold and a force to be reckoned with. China’s values are certainly helping it along. China is patient, it plans for the long-term benefit of the country, its people believes in suffering today and working for a better tomorrow, it is willing to adopt practices that helps it improve, and last but not least, it is forced to compete locally if not internationally, at a higher level than anyone else. With a population of 1.3 billion people, each day is a competition and a challenge. For better or for worse, they are brought up to be competitive, to constantly strive to be better, and their endurance for such an environment is simply mind-blowing. Personally, this class has been extremely valuable to me, for forcing me to consciously revaluate what I already know, to consider many factors that were common to me, and to assess everything from various perspectives. It has been both an educational as well as a personal journey for me because to be challenged on what’s simply accepted as “normal in China” and what I deemed “normal for a tourist” was an enlightening experience. I am very grateful for this opportunity to travel and learn with everyone.
Word Count: 1,500
On my honor, I have neither given nor received aid on this assignment.
~ Ashlie Wong
