TimeZone Journal

Chinese companies are increasingly expanding into international markets. But there is a significant difference between selling products overseas and building a business overseas. A company can continue to manufacture in China and sell through distributors, logistics partners and local sales organisations. It can establish warehouses, service operations and subsidiaries in overseas markets. It can form a joint venture with a local company, acquire an established business, or e

China has become one of the most discussed countries in international business, yet also one of the least understood. Political headlines dominate the conversation. Trade disputes, tariffs, technology restrictions, supply chain resilience and national security concerns regularly shape the news agenda, creating the impression that companies are steadily distancing themselves from China. The commercial reality is considerably more nuanced. Every day, organisations around the wo

If you've worked with Chinese colleagues or clients for any length of time, you've almost certainly heard the expression, "It's about face." It is one of the first concepts introduced in almost every cross-cultural training programme and one of the most frequently cited explanations for behaviour that Western managers find difficult to understand. The problem is that it is often explained far too simply. Face is commonly described as avoiding embarrassment or preventing someo

Over the years, I've had countless conversations with clients who have returned from China convinced a project was moving ahead, only to discover a few weeks later that very little had actually happened. It can be frustrating, particularly when the meeting itself seemed to go so well. There was plenty of discussion, questions were asked, ideas were explored, and nobody appeared to disagree with the proposal. Everyone was polite, engaged, and constructive, so it's easy to leav

The first few months after a Chinese acquisition often feel positive. There is investment, energy, and talk of new opportunities. Then, gradually, something shifts. Western managers begin to notice that decisions are becoming more top-down, that questioning feels less welcome, and that their local expertise carries less weight than it did. At the same time, Chinese leadership teams grow frustrated that their Western counterparts openly challenge decisions, ask too many questi