The Nature of Chinese Business Negotiation Behaviour: A Battlefield or a Gentlemen's Club?

Since the People's Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as China) opened its market to the rest of the world, an enormous necessity to negotiate with Chinese business partners has arisen. Businessmen from all over the world face Chinese counterparts more and more often, business relations are becoming deeper and negotiating skills play one of the key roles in the successful process of entering the Chinese market. Good interpersonal relations with Chinese business partners seem to be of great importance for creating and maintaining long-term business relations. What is the philosophy of the Chinese way of negotiation? What is the philosophical base of Chinese business behaviour? How to understand Chinese negotiation strategies? What are the specifics of the Chinese business culture? What are the critical points every negotiator should be aware of to be able to create and maintain successful business relationship with Chinese partners? This article points out fundamental cultural determinants which influence the Chinese business behaviour while focusing on individual negotiation philosophies.