Manufacturing and Quality Control blog

You’re coming to China to visit your suppliers. Maybe you've taken the time to learn a couple of phrases like “hello” and “thank you” in Mandarin, which you hope will come in handy during your trip. You may have read a phrasebook, but most of the terms they contain are academic Chinese and not really the way people normally speak day-to-day. Here are 5 simple phrases that most people actually use in everyday life.

Topics: Cultural Notes from the East

If you've ever drank baijiu or other Chinese alcohol in a social or business setting with Chinese people, you've probably heard the word "ganbei" as some point. Depending on how many drinks you've already had and where you were in China, you may have heard this brief phrase belted out...

Topics: Cultural Notes from the East

Should I go out drinking with management and staff from my factory? Would I be overstepping a boundary by letting my supplier take me out for a night on the town? These are common questions asked by foreign buyers or importers that visit China to meet with their supplier, and if you've ever visited a factory in China...

Topics: Cultural Notes from the East

1. Go for the One-on-One

Factory visits and other supplier interactions in China virtually always come in groups. Chinese management would, in nearly all cases, prefer to have a team of their staff members meeting with the client all at once, as they will feel that this structure will naturally hold those staff members accountable to their organization’s best interests.

Topics: Cultural Notes from the East

Western buyers working directly with Chinese manufacturers must overcome a number of obstacles in order to do business smoothly. These include huge time differences, varying perspectives on product quality, obvious language barriers, and also more subtle cultural gaps. Bridging this cultural divide can work wonders for western buyers.

Topics: Cultural Notes from the East