Communication and Hierarchy

Unless you speak Chinese it can be difficult to conduct business in China, without the aid of a
translator. Despite the thin layers of English speakers exist in China; communication can be
slow which can result in the dangers of misunderstanding and mistranslation. Chinese find it
difficult to say “No” since they believe it causes embarrassment or lost of face.

The Chinese use an intermediary to deliver bad news, someone who can soften the impact of
the news and preserve good will within the relationship as much as possible.

UK countries tend misunderstand Chinese body language because they tend to be very
impassive. They use very little visual body language; hence the reason UK countries interpret
this rigidity as unresponsive.

The British and Chinese are almost similar in their use of diplomacy when communicating.
The British place diplomacy before directness when communicating. The British uses
language in a coded manner and prefer to say unpalatable things using more acceptable
phrases.