Enter the translator. The skills required here are not just limited to those who cannot speak Mandarin Chinese. Proficient speakers of Singaporean Mandarin also find that Chinese Mandarin is more subtle, more complex and nuanced than they are accustomed to at home.
The challenge in a translated environment is ensuring your message is properly understood.
A translator provided by the Chinese side will understand the need to affirm and reaffirm the key points in the discussion. A translator from your office in Singapore is most likely more accustomed to the Western style of discussion and may not see the point of this statement and restatement.
Regarding critical issues, it is important to confirm that your understanding aligns with the other side’s. It is a process of triangulation, though somewhat circular in practice. In this sense, it aligns with the Chinese side’s preferred broader approach.
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It starts with the main idea, or date, or concept. It may be seeking agreement that a deadline will be met. Then the main idea is restated, not repeated. The difference is important. Simply repeating an idea that has been misunderstood in the first place will not make it any clearer. Restating the idea differently will help confirm whether it has been understood.
It allows the other side to decide they know what it is about. Then, to acknowledge that they get it and to confirm their understanding is correct.
It is not about treating people like idiots. These are often important negotiations, so it is essential that everyone is very clear on the nuances of meaning. Here is how it might work in practice:
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You: The project must be completed by March 15
China: OK. We will do our best.
First restatement: Do you see any problems with the March 15 deadline?
Here, they may mention some minor problems and solutions.
Second restatement: Are there any other factors or projects that might affect your ability to finish this project by March 15?
This is an opportunity for the Chinese side to mention that they may require several external approvals, which could delay the project. Or that their delivery depends on material from another supplier, which has not been included in the discussion.
Third restatement: Is the March 15 deadline convenient?
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This is another opportunity to mention issues that have not been revealed by direct questions. Perhaps the deadline may be inconvenient because one of the key personnel is scheduled to take annual leave before it.
Fourth restatement: Do we need to talk to anyone else or any organisation about this March 15 deadline?
The answer can be a real lifesaver if the agreement reached across the table requires sign-off from someone higher up the management chain. In the complex structure of China’s business and government management, it is not always clear who has, or who will accept, the authority to confirm the decision.
The gap between what you meant and what they thought you meant is not trivial. Unwinding these misunderstandings through the courts can take decades.
An infamous example comes from Australia, where Chinese investment was courted for a mining deal.
The Australian side said: “We have a deal.”
The China side said: “We agree to a framework to talk about a deal.”
Australia believed China would pay for infrastructure. China said it would provide an infrastructure loan.
Australia left the meeting, saying: “We have agreed and they will continue investigations.”
The China side said: “We will investigate further and then discuss agreement.”
It took decades to sort out because, although each side heard what the other said, neither correctly understood how the other side understood the discussions. Sometimes, poor translation is the issue, but most of the time, it is poor understanding that trips up negotiations.
Circling back several times to restate the key issues of agreement and ensure they are fully understood by both sides is essential. It is also consistent with the way many Chinese feel comfortable with developing the trust that underpins long-term business.
Daryl Guppy is an international financial technical analysis expert. He has provided weekly Shanghai Index analysis for Mainland Chinese media for two decades. Guppy appears regularly on CNBC Asia and is known as “The Chart Man”. He is a former national board member of the Australia-China Business Council. The writer owns Chinese stock and index ETFs.
