When Chinese people express disagreement or concern, the default mode is indirect—through implication, through intermediaries, through questions rather than statements, through topics that signal issues without naming them. Direct criticism or explicit confrontation is marked behavior that signals escalation or relationship breakdown. This indirection serves multiple purposes: it preserves face, maintains surface harmony, and creates flexibility for the recipient to respond without acknowledging criticism. To work effectively with Chinese counterparts, learn to read indirect signals—the hesitation that signals concern, the questions that imply disagreement, the silence that speaks volumes.
When you need to raise difficult issues, consider indirect approaches: frame concerns as questions, use intermediaries to carry messages, or address issues through adjacent topics. Reserve directness for situations where you want to signal that normal approaches have failed.
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