A few days ago, I finished reading "One Billion Customers" written by American James McGregor.

James McGregor was originally the head of the "Wall Street Journal" and Dow Jones Group in China, but later resigned to do business. In order to sum up his career as a journalist, he wrote this book to let Westerners understand how to do business in China. In the book, he disclosed the inside story of the Chinese government's business management through the introduction of some high-level cases, and made a precise and profound analysis of Chinese society. It is hard to believe that a foreigner understands China so well.
In my opinion, this book is a must-read for anyone who wants to do business in China. In particular, how to deal with business relations with the Chinese government, it is probably difficult to find a better reading than it. Below are some excerpts I put together.
Table of contents
1. Chinese Culture
2. Emphasis on stability and order
3. Education
4. Emphasis on monetary interests
5. Human relations and the law
1. Chinese Culture
The top-down management of wise monarchs has been the foundation of China's social order for thousands of years. To this day, it is also a generally popular business management model in China.
The core of Chinese culture is to pursue harmony, even if this harmony is superficial.
Chinese culture advocates that individuals pursue obedience and etiquette, and accept orders and decisions from above.
The first lesson that Chinese children learn in life is discipline, and parents teach their children to observe discipline.
Chinese culture advocates restraint, restraint, and restraint again.
Chinese people are used to obeying leaders. Leaders can issue orders on all issues, even family conflicts among subordinates.
With their emphasis on stability and obedience, the Chinese are obedient to leaders who are charismatic, caring, and orderly.
This obedience of the Chinese character is quite fruitful in manufactures. But once you go abroad, or enter fields that require more creativity, such as research and development, the shortcomings of the Chinese model will be exposed.
What are the most common four characters in Chinese companies? "Listen to the leader!"
2. Emphasis on stability and order
The Chinese government attaches the most importance to stability and order.
If you want to survive in China, you can't make things difficult for the system. You need to explain how your company's business is beneficial to China.
If you want to hit your opponent, you can paint your opponent as a system breaker.
In order to maintain the superficial order, the Chinese people's code of conduct is not whether there is guilt or not, but whether it will be exposed.
Chinese law assumes that everything is under the control of the government, and unless the law expressly allows it, anything you do is illegal. And American law assumes that the government must not interfere with people's freedom, unless the law expressly prohibits, otherwise you can do anything.
Why is the traffic in China so messy? Because of the existence of various political repression and social control, the Chinese use the gas pedal and the steering wheel as tools to vent.
3. Education
The people cultivated by the Chinese education system are to be led, not to lead others. The result of this educational system is a strong but underactive workforce with very few innovative business leaders and managers of all kinds.
Education is China's biggest advantage, but also its biggest disadvantage.
Chinese people have a good memory and are good at mathematics, and they are content with boring and lengthy work. But the rote education system greatly weakens people's analytical and leadership skills.
4. Emphasis on monetary interests
The rapid changes in the situation and the lack of social security make the Chinese people uneasy. Everyone thinks that the only way to feel safe is to get rich quickly. Many Chinese only trust money.
At the funeral, a core link is to burn paper money and send assets to the dead.
At weddings, guests line up to give gift money under public gaze, and everyone's envelopes are torn, counted, and recorded.
In the rush to get rich, no one will line up unless forced to. Everyone pushed forward desperately. This is also how business works.
The corollary of get-rich-quick is "trust no one." The Chinese have a deep distrust of the system and of strangers. The result is dishonesty in the business environment. There is no trust among Chinese people. When doing business in China, people's expectation is that the other party will deceive them.
Chinese society is selfish. The Chinese are very competitive, but weak in cooperation. The Chinese are one of the most selfish and selfish nations in the world.
Individually, the Chinese are fierce and fearsome businessmen. However, it is difficult for the Chinese to form large organizations, which require people to share their views and live together as equals.
In China, you are either rich or obedient.
5. Human relations and the law
The importance of interpersonal relationships in Chinese society is far greater than in the West. Laws and contracts are not as important as human relationships. Opportunities come from associating with powerful people.
Do business in China, don't completely rely on the law, you will lose. The law is just an argument for your business conduct. In a legal system that lacks fairness and justice, your network can keep you safe.
The power of the HR chief in China is much higher than in the West, because those who are hired tend to be grateful to them.
In this country that needs to deal with layers of bureaucracy and personal interests, it is impossible to get things done by relying on personal ability alone.
If a commercial company does not treat government relations as the most critical part of its business, then its business will suffer.
Kiss cadres, hug clients.