Learning about China

Best introductory books on doing business in China
by Daisy Wang

In a nutshell, these three:

Doing Business In China:
How to Profit in the World’s Fastest Growing Market (Paperback)
by Ted Plafker

Covers all the main points, and in some detail.

Doing Business in the New China: A Handbook and Guide
by Birgit Zinzius

Reinforces the points made by Plafker.

China Streetsmart: What You MUST Know to be Effective
and Profitable in China (Paperback)
by John L. Chan

In addition to sections on the Chinese way of doing things, it also has a lengthy walk-through of a business plan of action.

What’s special about these three books ?
And what about the hundreds of other titles ?

Those wishing to do business in China need to grasp certain unassailable facts, from the outset. All other aspects of business – from location, to paperwork, and supply lines – are of secondary importance. And these three books, when read together, make the point. There will be some overlap of content, but repetition will reinforce the message. Most of the other books on business in China – a tsunami of titles currently on offer – can be treated as diverting but irrelevant.

The best way to approach business dealings in China – dealt with in the books above – can be summarized in

The
THREE GOLDEN RULES
of doing business in China:

1) Adapt to the Chinese way of doing things,
and learn to see everything in Chinese terms,
and through Chinese eyes:

You need to know how things are done, locally, and this can vary from city to city, for region to region. Always assume – at the beginning of any stage of a business project – that you don’t know how things are done, and will have to find out. Whatever it takes, get the locals to instruct you into local knowledge.

2) Put maximum effort into your social relationships
with your Chinese business partners:

The Chinese want to know what sort of a person you are, and how you conduct yourself, before they will put any serious business your way . Be prepared for many social drinking sessions. Relationships are more important than contracts, or any other types of business arrangements normally accepted in the West.

3) Learn about China, and learn to speak Chinese:

If you don’t speak the language, you won’t know what people really think, and you’ll be at a constant disadvantage. You won’t be able to pick up local knowledge and insight first hand. Mandarin is the most widely spoken language, but local dialects can be more important for long term business intelligence. The Chinese are also extremely proud of their ancient civilization, and don’t respond positively to foreigners ignorant of Chinese culture.

[Listed below are some other introductory books on the basics of doing business in China, but of lesser value. Ranked in order of usefulness, starting with the Collins.]

Doing Business in China For Dummies (For Dummies (Business & Personal Finance)) (Paperback) by Robert Collins

An American’s Guide To Doing Business In China: Negotiating Contracts And Agreements; Understanding Culture and Customs; Marketing Products and Services (Paperback)
by Mike Saxon (Author)

Chinese Business Etiquette: A Guide to Protocol, Manners, and Culture in the People’s Republic of China (A Revised and Updated Edition of “Dealing with the Chinese”)
by Scott D. Seligman

Harvard Business Review on Doing Business in China (Harvard Business Review Paperback Series)
by Harvard Business School Press.

One Billion Customers: Lessons from the Front Lines of Doing Business in China
(Wall Street Journal Book)
by James McGregor

The New Silk Road: Secrets of Business Success in China Today
by John B. Stuttard

Please let us know if we’ve missed anything. We will revise our recommendations as often as necessary, to keep them up to date.

LEARNING MANDARIN CHINESE [Best basic resources for an English speaker]
by Jim Westhaven

Short of going and living amongst Mandarin-speakers in China – and even then you’ll need some back-up material – we offer a list of bare necessities for starting to learn Mandarin from scratch.

Mandarin Chinese has become a hot educational topic. If China continues with its present economic growth, Mandarin will become an increasingly important international language. But learning it is not for the feeble or faint-hearted. Check out the following:

How hard is it to learn Chinese? [BBC]
Why Chinese Is So Damn Hard by David Moser
How hard is Chinese ? by William Baxter

That said, resources available on the web, and through shops, have made the task very much easier.
It is best to approach Mandarin on a number of fronts simultaneously, and to be prepared for many years of dedicated effort:

(1) Join a class in a Chinese language school;

(2) AND have supplementary lessons with a private tutor;

(3) Watch at least 10-15 minutes of high quality Mandarin language TV [eg Phoenix] [Channel 785 on Sky UK] a day. A completely disheartening exercise to begin with, but persistence pays off.

(4) Buy at least two complementary self-tutor language courses: Pimsleur Mandarin for learning basic conversational phrases, and Rosetta Stone

for learning to listen and pick up the spoken language, and for learning to read Chinese characters.

(5) Buy Bjorksten: Learn to Write Chinese Characters:

and Memchinese software for learning to write. Bjorksten is an excellent tutor on how to be able to write elegant and attractive-looking characters – for everyday communication – with a fountain pen. Memchinese is most useful for a visual demonstration of the traditional stroke order in which characters are constructed. It is worth knowing the traditional method not only because it is common knowledge amongst the Chinese, but also because it helps to put a multi-stroke character together in an aesthetically pleasing way. We are talking here only about ordinary writing as opposed to calligraphy.

(6) Buy NJ Star Chinese wordprocessing software. For someone learning Mandarin, this is software from heaven, and an indispensable resource. NJ Star also do Japanese wordprocessing software. If you want to make serious headway with written Chinese, NJ Star is both a dictionary and means of typing characters on a page. NJ Star also allows you to copy and paste Chinese characters off webpages and then translate them into English, character by character. This saves huge amounts of time looking characters up in dictionaries. Buy through the above link and receive a 10% discount on the retail price.

(7) A basic Chinese dictionary, like What Character Is That?: An Easy-Access Dictionary of 5,000 Chinese Characters by Ping-gam Go:


Software has taken the place of dictionaries in many ways – at least for beginners – but there are always situations in which a dictionary will be necessary, such as deciphering unknown characters in a newspaper or magazine, or even a textbook.

Learning Mandarin Chinese is extremely rewarding, as it offers a glimpse into a radically different culture. Even a few months of lessons will change the way you look at all things Chinese.

If and when we come across better learning material, we will update our recommendations accordingly. We will go into all aspects of learning Mandarin in more detail in future posts. We want this to be an ongoing study, so we welcome your suggestions.

Zhang Yimou  张艺谋 early films on DVD [best versions, taking into account the quality of the transfer, the soundtrack, and a competitive retail price] by Jim Westhaven.

We are analyzing these films from the perspective of their ability to shed light on China and Chinese society, rather than for their entertainment value.

Zhang’s later films – like ‘Hero‘ and ‘Curse of the Golden Flower‘ may be fantastic to look at, but they hardly attempt to offer an accurate depiction of China during the middle ages. His earlier films, despite being melodramas, are at least given realistic settings, and can therefore afford the viewer some sense of daily life in pre-communist China, even if one has to make a few imaginative allowances.

RED SORGHUM [1987] 红高粱

Set in Shandong province in the 1930s, the plot is laced with elements of folk culture, legend, and politics. There is also a strong tendency towards a depiction of carnality and earthiness. The general drift of the film can also be seen as proposing a new type of Chinese nationalism. ‘Red Sorghum’ is Zhang’s most acclaimed early film, although the quality of the DVD transfers leaves much to be desired. The best version currently available is the Mandarin language version with English subtitles:

RED SORGHUM (DVD)
(Mandarin with English subtitles)
(China Version) DVD Region All

Any of these DVDs can be ordered
[and shipped internationally] by clicking
on the live links, or the DVD cover. Please help to keep us afloat by ordering your copies this way.

---

JU DOU [1990] 菊豆

Set in the early 20th century in a primitive rural China , it is the story of a beautiful woman sold into marriage, and of the unfolding of her tragic life. It is a melodrama which focuses on sexual tensions. The societal context, customs, and general way of life depicted here had probably been that way for hundreds of years.

Ju Dou (US Version) DVD Region All
Mandarin with English subtitles

---

RAISE THE RED LANTERN [1991] 大红灯笼高高挂

Set in the warlord era of the 1920s, prior to the Nationalist-Communist Civil War, it is the story of a woman who becomes a concubine for a wealthy man. Much of the film is concerned with psychological tensions and the cruelties of that particular archaic way of life. Zhang has denied any allegorical dimension to the story.

Raise the Red Lantern (Digitally Remastered)
(Hong Kong Version) DVD Region All
Mandarin with English subtitles

---

THE STORY OF QIU JU [1992] 秋菊打官司

One woman’s fight for justice. Set in Shaanxi province in 1992, during the time of Deng Xiaoping. As critic Roger Ebert has said, “Zhang’s approach is … understated. Watching the film, we [have to] find the humour for ourselves, and along the way we absorb more information about the lives of ordinary people in everyday China than in any other film I’ve seen.”* Essential viewing for anyone wanting to learn about the lives of everyday rural folk in late 20th century China.

The Story of Qiu Ju (US Version) DVD Region 1
Mandarin with English subtitles

---

TO LIVE [1994] 活着

Set in the 1940s during the Nationalist-Communist Civil War. It concerns the story of a man who loses his family fortune and his wife, and who finds himself forced to earn his living as a shadow puppeteer. On the way to rebuilding his life, he moves from the Nationalists to the Communists, but ultimately comes to grief at the hands of the new political system. The film’s clear criticism of communism resulted in its banning in China.

To Live (US Version) DVD Region 1
English language version

---

SHANGHAI TRIAD [1995] 摇呀摇摇到外婆桥

Set in seven days in the Shanghai of the 1930s, the film concerns the fate of a fourteen-year-old boy sent to work for a Triad boss. The plot allows for the depiction of some aspects of life within the context of 1930s organized crime.

Shanghai Triad (Digitally Remastered)
(US version) DVD Region 1 Mandarin with English subtitles

---

NOT ONE LESS [1999] 一个都不能少

Contemporary story [1990s] of a thirteen-year-old girl who is a substitute teacher in rural China. Shot in a documentary style, the film has a different feel from Zhang’s earlier melodramas. Of considerable interest in its depiction of primary school life in the Chinese countryside, even if the main plot is not typical.

Not One Less (DVD) (English Subtitled)
(China Version) DVD Region All Mandarin with English subtitles

---

THE ROAD HOME [1999] 我的父亲母亲

A rural love story set in the 1950s during the Anti-Rightist campaign. The film focuses on the central characters and their lives, and only tangentially refers to the political setting.

The Road Home (DVD) (US Version)
Region 1 Mandarin with English subtitles

---

Key: [course identifier] [no of years required] [+ either FT= full time or PT = part time] [end qualification]

The main links will take you to the Chinese department [or nearest] of each university. You may have to negotiate each site to find exactly what you want. For detailed application information, please go to http://www.ucas.ac.uk/

University of Abertay Dundee
Business Studies – (Chinese) (N100) 4PT Hon BA

University of Bath
Computer Science (Ab-initio Mandarin Chinese) (GT41) 3FT Hon BSc
Computer Science (Mandarin Chinese) & Placement (GT4C) 4PT Hon BSc

The University of Birmingham
International Business with Language (4 years) – (Mandarin Chinese) (N1R9) 4FT Hon BSc
Modern Languages (4 years) – (French (Major) and Mandarin Chinese (Minor)) (R901) 4FT Hon BA
Modern Languages (4 years) – (German (Major) and Mandarin Chinese (Minor)) (R901) 4FT Hon BA
Modern Languages (4 years) – (Hispanic St (Major) and Mandarin Chinese (Minor)) (R901) 4FT Hon BA
Modern Languages (4 years) – (Italian St (Major) and Mandarin Chinese (Minor)) (R901) 4FT Hon BA
Modern Languages (4 years) – (Russian St (Major) and Mandarin Chinese (Minor)) (R901) 4FT Hon BA

University of the West of England, Bristol
Chinese Studies and Business (TN11) 3FT Hon BA
Chinese Studies and History (TV11) 3FT Hon BA
Chinese Studies and Politics (TL12) 3FT Hon BA
Chinese Studies and Spanish (TR14) 3FT Hon BA
Intercultural Communication and Chinese Studies (PT91) 3FT Hon BA

University of Cambridge
Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (TT46) 4FT Hon BA
Asian and Middle Eastern Studies – (Chinese) (TT46) 4FT Hon BA

University of Central Lancashire [these links could do with some updating]
Business Management in China (NT1C) 3FT Hon BA
Combined Honours Programme – (Chinese (A1 and A2)) (Y003) 3FT Hon BA/BSc
International Bus Comm with Chinese (Top-up) (N1T1) 1FT Hon BA
Modern Languages (4-year part time) (T900) 4PT Hon BA
TESOL and Modern Languages (XR19) 3FT/4PT Hon BA

Edge Hill University
Chinese Studies and Business (NT11) 3FT Hon BA
English and Chinese Studies (QT31) 3FT Hon BA

The University of Edinburgh
Chinese (T100) 4FT Hon MA
Chinese and History (TV11) 4FT Hon MA
Chinese and Linguistics (TQ11) 4FT Hon MA
Economics and Chinese (LT11) 4FT Hon MA
History of Art and Chinese Studies (TV13) 4FT Hon MA

University of Greenwich
China International Business (N121) 3FT Hon BA

University of Hertfordshire
Accounting with Mandarin Chinese (N4T1) 3FT/4PT Hon BA
Business with Mandarin Chinese (NT11) 3FT/4PT Hon BA
Economics with Mandarin Chinese (L1T1) 3FT/4PT Hon BA
European Studies with Mandarin Chinese (R8T1) 3FT/4PT Hon BA
Event Management with Mandarin Chinese (N8TC) 3FT/4PT Hon BA
Human Resources with Mandarin Chinese (N6T1) 3FT/4PT Hon BA
Information Systems with Mandarin Chinese (G5T1) 3FT/4PT Hon BSc
Management Sciences with Mandarin Chinese (N2T1) 3FT/4PT Hon BSc
Marketing with Mandarin Chinese (N5T1) 3FT/4PT Hon BA
Tourism with Mandarin Chinese (N8T1) 3FT/4PT Hon BA

The University of Kent
Law with a Year in China (M103) 4FT Hon LLB
Politics & International Relations yr China/HK (L254) 4FT Hon BA

The University of Wales, Lampeter
Chinese Studies (T100) 3FT Hon BA
Chinese Studies and Anthropology (TL16) 3FT Hon BA
Chinese Studies and Archaeology (TV14) 3FT Hon BA
Chinese Studies and Business Management (TN11) 3FT Hon BA
Chinese Studies and Classical Studies (TQ18) 3FT Hon BA
Chinese Studies and English (TQ13) 3FT Hon BA
Chinese Studies and Medieval Studies (TV11) 3FT Hon BA
Chinese Studies and Philosophical Studies (TV15) 3FT Hon BA
Chinese Studies and Religious Studies (TV16) 3FT Hon BA
Chinese Studies and Welsh Studies (TQ15) 3FT Hon BA

University of Leeds
Arabic and Chinese (TT61) 5FT Hon BA
Asia Pacific Studies and Chinese (TT13) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese (Modern) (T100) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese and Cultural Studies (TV19) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese and Economics (LT11) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese and English (QT31) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese and French (RT11) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese and Geography (LT71) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese and German (RT21) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese and History (TV11) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese and International Development (TLC2) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese and International Relations (TL12) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese and Italian A (RT31) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese and Italian B (RTH1) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese and Japanese (TT12) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese and Linguistics (QT11) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese and Management (TN12) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese and Philosophy (TV15) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese and Politics (LT21) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese and Portuguese (RT51) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese and Russian A (RT71) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese and Russian B (RTR1) 5FT Hon BA
Chinese and Russian Civilisation (RTT1) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese and Sociology (LT31) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese and South East Asian Studies (TT31) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese and Spanish (RT41) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese and World Cinemas (TW16) 4FT Hon BA

Liverpool John Moores University
Applied Languages – French and Chinese (RT11) 4FT Hon BA
Applied Languages – Spanish and Chinese (RT41) 4FT Hon BA
International Business Studies & Chinese (NT11) 4FT Hon BA
Public Relations and Chinese (PT21) 4FT Hon BA
Tourism & Leisure and Chinese (N8T1) 4FT Hon BA

The University of Manchester
Anatomical Sciences with a Modern Language (B114) 4FT Hon BSc
Biochemistry with a Modern Language (4 years) (C705) 4FT Hon BSc
Biology with a Modern Language (4 years) (C106) 4FT Hon BSc
Biomedical Sciences with a Modern Language (B9R9) 4FT Hon BSc
Cell Biology with a Modern Language (4 years) (C132) 4FT Hon BSc
Chinese and Japanese (TT12) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese and Japanese (TT1F) 4FT Hon MML
Chinese and Linguistics (TQ11) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese and Screen Studies (TW16) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese Studies (4 years) (T100) 4FT Hon BA
Developmental Biology with a Modern Language (C1R9) 4FT Hon BSc
English Language and Chinese (4 years) (QT31) 4FT Hon BA
French and Chinese (4 years) (RT11) 4FT Hon BA
French and Chinese (4 years) (TR11) 4FT Hon MML
Genetics with a Modern Language (4 years) (C402) 4FT Hon BSc
German and Chinese (4 years) (RT21) 4FT Hon BA
German and Chinese (4 years) (TR12) 4FT Hon MML
Italian and Chinese (4 years) (RT31) 4FT Hon BA
Italian and Chinese (4 years) (TR13) 4FT Hon MML
Life Sciences with a Modern Language (4 years) (C103) 4FT Hon BSc
Microbiology with a Modern Language (4 years) (C502) 4FT Hon BSc
Modern Language and Business & Mgt (Chinese) (NT11) 4FT Hon BA
Molecular Biology with a Modern Language (C722) 4FT Hon BSc
Neuroscience with a Modern Language (4 years) (B144) 4FT Hon BSc
Pharmacology with a Modern Language (4 years) (B212) 4FT Hon BSc
Physiology with a Modern Language (4 years) (B122) 4FT Hon BSc
Plant Science with a Modern Language (4 years) (C201) 4FT Hon BSc
Portuguese and Chinese (4 years) (RT51) 4FT Hon BA
Russian and Chinese (4 years) (RT71) 4FT Hon BA
Russian and Chinese (4 years) (TR17) 4FT Hon MML
Spanish and Chinese (4 years) (RT41) 4FT Hon BA
Spanish and Chinese (4 years) (TR14) 4FT Hon MML
Zoology with a Modern Language (4 years) (C303) 4FT Hon BSc

Middlesex University
Modern Languages and Translation (RQ99) 4PT Hon BA
Traditional Chinese Acupuncture (B348) 3FT Hon BSc
Traditional Chinese Medicine (BT31) 4FT Hon BSc
Translation (Q910) 4FT Hon BA
Translation and TEFL (QX91) 4FT Hon BA

Newcastle University
Chinese/Japanese and Cultural Studies (TT41) 4FT Hon BA
Combined Studies – (Chinese) (Y001) 4FT Hon BA
Linguistics with Japanese/Chinese (Q1T4) 4FT Hon BA

Glyndwr University
Chinese Medicine (B341) 3FT Hon BSc

The University of Nottingham
American Studies with Chinese Studies (T7T1) 3FT Hon BA
Business and Economy of Contemporary China (T138) 4FT Hon MSci
Contemporary Chinese Studies (T130) 3FT Hon BA
Contemporary Chinese Studies (T134) 4FT Hon MSci
Economics with Chinese Studies (L1T1) 3FT Hon BA
Electrical & Electronic Eng with Chinese (H6TC) 4FT Hon MEng
Electrical & Electronic Engineering w Chinese St (H6T1) 3FT Hon BEng
Film & Television Studies with Chinese Studies (P3T1) 3FT Hon BA
French and Contemporary Chinese Studies (RT11) 4FT Hon BA
Geography with Chinese Studies (L7T1) 3FT Hon BA
German and Contemporary Chinese Studies (RT21) 4FT Hon BA
Global Issues and Contemporary Chinese Studies (LT21) 4FT Hon MSci
History with Contemporary Chinese Studies (V1T1) 3FT Hon BA
Management with Chinese Studies (N2T1) 3FT Hon BA
Mathematics with Chinese Studies (G1T1) 3FT Hon BSc
Russian and Contemporary Chinese Studies (RT71) 4FT Hon BA
Spanish and Contemporary Chinese Studies (RT41) 4FT Hon BA

Nottingham Trent University
Chinese (Mandarin) (Joint Honours) (T101) 3FT Hon BA
Chinese and Global Studies (TL19) 3FT Hon BA
French and Chinese (RT11) 3FT Hon BA
German and Chinese (RT21) 4FT Hon BA
Italian and Chinese (RT31) 4FT Hon BA
Spanish and Chinese (RT41) 4FT Hon BA

Oxford University
Chinese (4 years) (T101) 4FT Hon BA

University of Portsmouth
Applied Languages (Q140) 4FT Hon BA
International Relations and Languages (LR29) 4FT Hon BA
Languages and International Trade (RN92) 4FT Hon BA
Law and Languages (MR18) 4PT Hon BA

The University of Salford
Linguistics and a Modern Language (Chinese) (QT11) 4FT Hon BA
Mod Langs-Trans & Interpreting-French & Chinese (QR9C) 4FT Hon BA
Mod Langs-Trans & Interpreting-Spanish & Chinese (QR9K) 4FT Hon BA
Modern Langs and Linguistics (French & Chinese) (RT11) 4FT Hon BA
Modern Langs and Linguistics (Spanish & Chinese) (RT41) 4FT Hon BA
Modern Langs with TESOL (Spanish and Chinese) (R8XC) 4FT Hon BA
Modern Language Studies with TESOL (Chinese) (T1X1) 4FT Hon BA
Modern Languages with TESOL (French and Chinese) (R8X1) 4FT Hon BA

School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London)
Chinese (Modern and Classical) (T100) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese and History of Art/Archaeology (TV13) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese and Linguistics (QT11) 4FT Hon BA
Development Studies and Chinese (LT91) 4FT Hon BA
Economics and Chinese (LT11) 4FT Hon BA
Geography and Chinese (LT71) 4FT Hon BA
History and Chinese (TV11) 4FT Hon BA
Indonesian and Chinese (TT13) 4FT Hon BA
International Management (China) 4 years (NT2C) 4FT Hon BSc
Korean and Chinese (TTC4) 4FT Hon BA
Law and Chinese (MT11) 4FT Hon BA
Management and Chinese (NT21) 4FT Hon BA
Music and Chinese (TW13) 4FT Hon BA
Politics and Chinese (LT21) 4FT Hon BA
Social Anthropology and Chinese (LT61) 4FT Hon BA
Study of Religions and Chinese (TV16) 4FT Hon BA

The University of Sheffield
Chinese Studies (T110) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese Studies and History (TV11) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese Studies and Management (TN12) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese Studies with French (T1R1) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese Studies with German (T1R2) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese Studies with Japanese (T1T2) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese Studies with Russian (T1R7) 4FT Hon BA
Chinese Studies with Spanish (T1R4) 4FT Hon BA
Music and Chinese Studies (WT31) 4FT Hon BA

Sheffield Hallam University
International Business with Language (Chinese) (N1T1) 4PT Hon BA

University of Southampton
Modern Languages (R990) 4FT Hon BA

University of Westminster
Chinese and English Language (TQ13) 3FT/4PT Hon BA
Chinese and English Literature (QT31) 3FT/4PT Hon BA
Chinese and Linguistics (TQ11) 3FT/4PT Hon BA
Chinese Medicine: Acupuncture (B343) 3FT Hon BSc
Chinese Medicine: Acupuncture with Fdn (B341) 4FT Hon BSc
International Business (Mandarin Chinese) 4 yrs (N1TC) 4PT Hon BA
International Relations and Chinese (LT2C) 3FT/4PT Hon BA
Translation Studies (Chinese) (QT91) 3FT/4PT Hon BA