I’m proudly translating Discover China by my friend Eric Nie into Spanish (Mexico) and Portuguese (Brazil). Today’s story is a short copywriting essence of Chapter 1. If you’d like to go deeper and explore the full journey, I highly recommend Eric’s book ($9.99): https://ericonchina.com/collections/all
Dear Friends,
It happened at a business forum in Shanghai.
An American executive asked a Chinese official,
“When can we expect a decision on our partnership?”
The official smiled.
“Let’s build mutual understanding first.” and whispered,
“So… is that a yes or a no?”
I smiled back.
“In China, it’s neither. It’s a process.”
That moment says everything.
China doesn’t just speak a different language.
It runs on a different mental operating system.
The West is built on straight lines: right or wrong, yes or no, win or lose. We debate. We define. We push for clarity.
China evolved in circles.
Balance over conflict.
Context over absolutes.
Harmony over hard edges.
Where Westerners ask, What’s the rule?
Chinese people ask, What’s the relationship?
This comes from deep roots.
For thousands of years, Confucian thinking shaped society around roles, continuity, and collective stability. The goal wasn’t standing out. It was fitting in — beautifully.
Change wasn’t something you forced.
It was something you absorbed.
Family became the template for everything: business, government, friendship. Hierarchical, yes — but interdependent. Rules stay flexible. Relationships stay sacred.
That’s why “just business” doesn’t really exist here.
Business is personal.
Western negotiators push deadlines.
Chinese negotiators wait for alignment.
Both want progress.
They just travel different roads.
The West seeks truth through argument.
China seeks balance through adjustment.
Ambiguity isn’t weakness here.
It’s wisdom.
It leaves room for everyone to move without losing face.
I once heard a Chinese friend say:
“We all want a better country. We just don’t want to fight each other to get it.”
That stayed with me.
The West asks, What’s the truth?
China asks, What keeps balance?
Neither is superior.
They’re simply grown from different soil.
And to understand China, you don’t ask if it’s right or wrong.
You ask how it became this way.
Cheers,
Augusto
Founder of Expat Eyes on China
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