In China, at the Wrong End of the Line

Air China's airliners were flown aggressively. Most captains were former fighter pilots, we were told. Our approach to Shenyang Airport was steep and rapid.

The girl across the isle, about eight years old, was being brave. But tears ran down each cheek and her hands covered her ears as pressure built in the cabin.

I got her attention and, with exaggerated gestures, showed her how to hold her nose and clear her ears. She imitated me perfectly.

Her instant smile was startled, amazed, dazzling. No one else on the plane heard the pop she heard. But the hurt was gone and, for the moment, her life was changed.

We had boarded the flight in Beijing . . . "we" being a dozen North American small business owners accompanied by an American tour guide and two Chinese government translators.

An American film crew was attached to the party. They were shooting a video on doing business in China.

China was not an easy place to visit in the early '80s. It had announced an intention to open to the outside world. Its government was actively seeking business contacts. However, it was still suspicious of tourism.

The Purported Trade Delegation

The U.S. genius for marketing seized the opportunity. A travel agency in Chicago booked the twelve of us on a tour, with a straight face declared us a "trade delegation," and took us to China.

The travel agency had arranged an itinerary with chamber of commerce type organizations in China. The local associations welcomed visitors. They could get government funding for banqueting foreign business groups; then courtesy demanded the guests banquet them in return, only better.

Our party included a man who owned a chain of tire stores in the Midwest. We had a young hedge fund manager and, if I remember correctly, a couple who dealt in antiques, and a woman who made maps.

Barbara and I, who ran a corporate training and development company, already had a direct and promising contact in Beijing. Dr. Wong lined up a few meetings for us and arranged a presentation.

As far as we knew, that was the closest thing to actual business done by the trade delegation. In Guangzhou our tour leader was contacted by the U.S. Consulate. "Who are you people?"

Getting Acquainted with the Locals and Maotai

The arrangement turned out well for us. Our hosts made sure we hit the tourist attractions, such as the Great Wall and a couple of imperial palaces.

But we also got to visit factories and meet people. Every evening at dinner we were seated, four or five per table, with a few mid-level Chinese decision makers and a couple of translators. Then the next evening we'd sit down with the same people again.

A toast of maotai, when knocked down as custom required, brought a flush to the cheeks and drops of sweat to the forehead. With a grin, the Chinese claimed it was the secret fuel used in their rocket development program.

Wrong End of the Line

We confused the Chinese sometimes with our ignorance of proper etiquette. For instance . . .

In Beijing our hosts of the previous evening honored us by coming to the airport to see us off.

Barbara and I, dawdling as usual, stood at the rear of the boarding line. Delighted to see our new friends again, we welcomed them with smiles and outstretched hands.

They were deeply embarrassed. By standing at the back of the line, we had unknowingly signaled we were the lowest status members of our group. Good manners dictated they first say goodbye to the highest status person.

So they hurried to the head of the line and shook hands with our young tour guide. She was waiting to hand out boarding passes as the rest of us went by.

On another morning we entered the office of an official. As my old fashioned manners required, I stepped aside and waved Barbara ahead. During the meeting the man listened to me and talked to Barbara.

We learned later that at meetings an underling always did the talking while the boss—the first person through the door­—listened, then made decisions.

The Americans and Chinese eventually worked out these little discrepancies of business protocol. They also discovered that the phrase "doing business in China" meant something entirely different to each party.

Different Perceptions

The Americans expected to bring to China their management system and machines for, say, making tooth brushes. They intended to hire local labor for next to nothing, make tooth brushes, then sell them to a billion Chinese.

The Chinese had entirely different expectations. The Americans would make tooth brushes in China and export them to the U.S. Meanwhile the Chinese would be acquiring western technology for manufacturing and marketing tooth brushes.

Then, having copied the American machines and management system several times over, the Chinese would themselves sell tooth brushes to their home market of a billion consumers . . . and to the rest of the world as well.

Imperial Summer Palace, Shenyang, Liaoning Province

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