When people talk about China, they usually have the People’s Republic in mind. Sure, this is the Chinese “heartland”, about which we are currently hearing a lot of negative headlines (treatment of the Uyghurs, Hong Kong). But not all Chinese live in the People’s Republic (which is often called “Red China” in German and “Mainland China” in English). Intercultural training in China usually focuses on the People’s Republic. But there are also “other Chinas” that are the subject of other intercultural training courses, such as intercultural training Taiwan, intercultural training Hong Kong, intercultural training Singapore and intercultural training Southeast Asia.
China is not everywhere – but almost everywhere in Southeast Asia
Over the centuries, the Chinese also settled outside the former empire. And very successfully! The Chinese are the economic elite in many countries, such as Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines. This aspect is therefore repeatedly emphasized in intercultural training in Southeast Asia.
Many Chinas – Taiwan
There are also other Chinese “states”. Taiwan, for example, officially refers to itself as the Republic of China and was the official representative of China in the world until 1971, when realpolitik put an end to this. While Europeans and the Taiwanese regard Taiwan as a separate state, Red China stubbornly maintains that Taiwan is a renegade province. Well, Taiwan was definitely once a province of China. And the People’s Republic would like to have Taiwan back, which the Chinese on Taiwan do not necessarily find desirable. Accordingly, there is a lot of sabre-rattling between countries from time to time. This is also a question of ideologies and decades-old animosities – communists versus national Chinese.
Many Chinas – Hong Kong and Macao
The former colonies of the British and Portuguese were effectively forced to join the People’s Republic at the end of the 1990s. The reason for this was the expiry of the lease agreement between China and Great Britain, under which large parts of Hong Kong would have fallen to China. The situation in Hong Kong thus became untenable and the UK resigned itself to the inevitable. Portugal followed only a little later. While Macao established itself as a kind of Las Vergas for rich Chinese gamblers, economically successful Hong Kong had a harder time. The Hong Kongers are accustomed to certain freedoms that were guaranteed to them by treaty until 2047, but which, as you can read in the press, are a thorn in Beijing’s side.
Many Chinas – Singapore
Singapore is also a Chinese city state. Although there are significant other minorities living here, such as Malays and Indians, the Chinese make up ¾ of the population. In fact, the former British colony “owes” its existence as an independent state to the fact that there was a rift between the Malays and Chinese in the mid-1960s. Since then, the Singaporeans have used a very strict policy and their British heritage, which gives them advantages in world trade, to write an economic success story that is second to none.
Many Chinas – Southeast Asia
In many countries in Southeast Asia, the Chinese are part of the economic upper class. However, they are a minority, so they have to buy the advantages of a free economy with a certain degree of adaptability. In Malaysia, for example, there is always a “token Malaysian” who is represented in the company management, but certainly often has little say.
Many Chinas – similarities and differences
In fact, the Chinese have many cultural similarities, no matter where they live. The stories of several millennia still shape the social order. This means that “all Chinese” share many cultural characteristics. These examples also make the difference to Germany very clear:
|
Chinese |
German | |
| Hierarchies |
High |
Medium |
| Communication |
Indirect |
Direct |
|
Relationship orientation |
High |
Low |
| Uncertainty avoidance |
Low |
High |
| Collectivism |
High |
Low |
| Belief in external influences |
Strong |
Weak |
On the other hand, it should not be forgotten that, despite ideological differences, there are often close economic ties between the Chinese worlds, e.g. between Taiwan and the People’s Republic. This is not least due to family ties. Politicians may bang their heads against each other verbally, but this does not detract from good business.
Many Chinas – Differences
Differences between the two Chinas are therefore mainly ideological. While the People’s Republic was stuck in a strict communist course for decades (with corresponding economic poverty), capitalization was driven forward under the leadership of the Communist Party from 1979 onwards. Today, the People’s Republic of China is an economic giant that is also playing an increasingly dominant role in global politics, at the expense of the USA.
The other Chinese countries were and are capitalist and have therefore made the leap from a developing country to an industrialized nation much earlier. Both Taiwan and Singapore were characterized by authoritarian governments, while Hong Kong must have seen the “British yoke” as an advantage, as the British brought legal certainty and a certain freedom to the country.
Intercultural training China – a rather monocultural affair
Interestingly, we have not held training that includes all of China. Sometimes China and Taiwan or China and Hong Kong. This clearly illustrates how the Chinese world is perceived in Germany, also from an economic point of view.
Intercultural training China – an investment that saves time and money
Intercultural training in China deals with these differences in detail. Companies naturally think pragmatically and want to focus on a specific topic. Cultural differences between Taiwan and the People’s Republic of China may be interesting, but why address them if you only earn your money in the People’s Republic? That’s right, that’s why we offer many different training courses that take these needs into account. However, one should not forget that there are many Chinas, which has to be taken into account.
A small literature recommendation
There is an abundance of works on Chinese culture. All of them are academically written and well-founded. If you want to learn about the Chinese world in an entertaining way, I recommend the book “Gunrunning” by Eric Ambler. Ambler is one of the most successful “classic” authors of espionage and crime novels from a fading period (1930-1970). But more than that, he is an excellent observer and storyteller and can get to the heart of the matter. The book is set in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Hong Kong in the late 1950s, i.e. in the “capitalist” Chinese world. Don’t expect a plot à la James Bond – but a cleverly polished story that interweaves the highs, lows and abysses of the real world, including a naive American. Including cultural differences that have lost none of their topicality! Have fun reading!
