Educational and literary traditions stress morality, social harmony, and the importance of personal virtue. Confucian classics advocate for moderation, respect, and the active cultivation of personal virtues as essential for societal harmony—again linking personal integrity with social and professional roles.
Emotional Restraint
Chinese prefer modesty and avoid overt emotional expression in business. Showing restraint respects hierarchy and group harmony: “Being overly enthusiastic, especially before a superior, can be perceived as showing off.”
Covering up Crises
Chinese government officials often use indirect communication by covering up or delaying disclosure of crises to preserve face and social stability. This can include prohibiting criticalmedia reporting or giving no comment to avoid direct confrontation with public concerns. During the SARS outbreak, local officials in Guangdong restricted media reports on deathrates to save face and maintain order, employing silence and controlled messaging.
Strategic Ambiguity
Chinese political actors often employ diversion and strategic ambiguity to redirect attention from controversies, emphasizing broader or future-focused themes to maintain harmony and authority without direct confrontation. Political figures may respond to allegations with statements that appeal to long-term goals or collective values rather than direct denial or accusations, subtly managing public perception.
Avoiding Public Apologies
In government and political communication, outright public apologies or attacking accusers are rare. The aim is to save face for all parties involved and sustain surface-level harmony, even amid disputes. During major crises like natural disasters or scandals, Chinese officials typically avoid public apologies, maintaining a tone of control and dignity.
“Three Warfares”
The People’s Liberation Army employs the “Three Warfares”: psychological warfare, legal warfare, and public opinion warfare. These tools aim to influence foreign governments, delegitimize opponents, and spread favorable narratives, shaping the battlefield long before actual hostilities. These warfares create a strategic environment to sap the enemy’s will and morale subtly and indirectly.
COVID-19 Social Distancing
COVID-19 Social Distancing Announcement (2020-2021): A grim but respectful government PSA urging social distancing, using sober tone and clear symbolic visuals. It relies on indirect appeal to collective responsibility rather than direct orders.
‘Touching’ French ad campaign highlights need for social distancing🇫🇷 A change in tone: The french government has launched a grim new public service announcement in response to a steep rise in #coronavirus cases in the country
Posted by FRANCE 24 English on Monday, September 14, 2020
slogan-saturated
No political culture is more slogan-saturated than China’s. When Xi Jinping stood before the United Nations (U.N.) in 2015 and declared China’s commitment to building a “Community of Shared Future for Mankind,” many Western observers heard a vague soft diplomacy platitude rather than a strategic signal. The slogan, however, functioned as a rhetorical trap, reframing China’s authoritarian model as morally legitimate and future-oriented while portraying liberal democracies as selfish and out of touch with humanity’s collective destiny.
Chinese (Simplified) Grammar
Indirect Speech in Chinese (Simplified) Grammar plays a pivotal role in enhancing communication and interactions among native speakers. Essentially, it allows individuals to report or recount what someone else has said without explicitly quoting them. This particular element of communication is prevalent in both spoken and written Chinese.
Building Relationships through Small Talk
In Chinese business culture, establishing trust through relationship-building activities like small talk, dinners, and informal exchanges is essential before discussing business. The emphasis is on people, not the deal itself: “The more one tries to rush to business, the more the Chinese will focus on relationshipbuilding to create a solid foundation.”