Tag Archives: 成语

CHINESE WISDOM

Beating the Grass and Startling the Snake – IPR in China

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The Chinese idiom “beating the grass and startling the snake” tells of a county magistrate in ancient China who was greedy and practiced bribery and graft  to further his own wealth and power. However, one day a man who lived in the county governed by the magistrate became aware of the ongoing crimes (though he remained unaware of the actual perpetrator), and sent a petition to alert the magistrate. Realizing that he was in danger of discovery, the magistrate remarked “he has beaten the grass and startled the snake.” Afterwards, the magistrate sent his men to seek out the citizen in question and make sure he would cause no further trouble.

This idiom in Chinese: 打草惊蛇, dǎ cǎo jīng shé

The moral of this idiom is to avoid acting prematurely or incautiously and alerting others to your plans  – if the citizen in the story had taken more time to investigate before acting, he likely could have avoided an untimely end.

IPR Concerns in China

While the Chinese market is still undeveloped and holds many opportunities for Western companies and businessmen, IPR is still a prominent cause for concern.

First, similar to the US during its own early development, China is much laxer on its enforcement of IPR laws than more developed countries. Many Chinese companies have taken advantage of this to copy western designs and ideas. If a Western product or design makes a big splash in China, such as the iPhone, it is likely that local copycats will soon be popping up left and right.

Second, even when IPR laws are enforced in China, brands and trademarks must be registered locally first. When Western companies have patents and copyrights in other countries, they still must be registered for a second time in China. And if a Western brand has not been registered in China, a local competitor can at any time apply for the rights to use (and own) it.

Third, local Chinese competitors usually have a stronger knowledge of Chinese consumers, and can gain and share information faster through local relationship networks. Therefore, Western companies with plans to enter the Chinese market are advised to guard their plans closely and conduct all necessary preparations as discretely as possible.

For more news on issues relating to Chinese companies hijacking the IPR of foreign companies and brands, please click HERE.

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Do you have any thoughts or questions on IPR issues in China? Do you know any other useful Chinese idioms that are similar to the one above? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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CHINESE WISDOM

Building a Cart Behind Closed Doors – What Costco Did Wrong in China

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The Chinese idiom “Building a Chariot Behind Closed Doors”  comes from the story of a man in ancient China who was planning to build a horse-drawn cart. As it turns out this man did not actually know how to build a cart. But instead of consulting with other carpenters and learning how to build one, he went into his workshop, closed the doors, and went about building his cart according to his own fancies. Needless to say, when the cart was finally completed, it did not work nearly as well as the man had intended.

The moral of this story is that when one sets out to accomplish something, especially something one has never done before, it is vitally important to first learn the correct method before acting.  And while this would seem to be obvious to most, within the arena of international business, which is composed of many different countries and cultures, it is often quite easy to make similar mistakes.

This idiom in Chinese: 闭门造车, bì mén zào chē

In the Chinese market, it is all too common for Western businesses to make errors based on existing experiences from their home countries. And while these errors may begin small, they can eventually snowball into a business model or product that is completely unsuited to the actual needs of Chinese consumers or businesses. In order to effectively enter the Chinese market, it is essential for Western companies to first understand the ACTUAL on-the-ground situation in China regarding their target market, consumers, potential competitors, and the relevant laws and regulations. No matter how good a company’s product or service is, doing one’s homework first can save a lot of time, effort and money. Below is an example on how a China market entry can go very wrong:

“Home Depot” in China

Home Depot, a US Big-box retailer catering the “Do It Yourself (DIY)” home design market, is more or less a household name in the United States. Home Depot aimed to repeat their success in China when it entered the market in 2006. However, in 2012 Home Depot admitted failure and made the decision to close all its China based stores while it reconsidered its approach in the Chinese market. And while many cultural and business factors have been cited by experts in the examination of this market entry failure, it might be most helpful to consider the following two points.

First, Chinese consumers (and home owners) by and large do not place a high value on manual labor, and may look down on those who perform it (e.g. in big Chinese cities, the term “farmer” is often an insult). Second, when Chinese consumers do need something constructed or repaired in their homes, they almost always outsource to a cheap contractors available in many suburban and urban areas – they don’t repair their homes themselves. And so, despite the fact that there was an obvious red flag, Home Depot still decided to enter the Chinese market and sell a DIY concept to consumers that don’t buy DIY.

This example just goes to show how easy it can be to get things wrong in China if one doesn’t take the time to look closely at the actual characteristics of the market. So when building your business model for China, don’t do it behind closed doors, because a “Western Cart” just may not roll the right way in China. Go to China and see things for yourself first.

Thanks for reading!

Do you have any additional thoughts or questions on market entry pitfalls and failures in China? Do you know any other useful Chinese idioms that are similar to the one above? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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CHINESE WISDOM

Struggling to Get Ahead – the Stressful Lives of Young Chinese

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The Chinese idiom “struggling to get ahead and fearing to be left behind,” is a modern saying, and has only come into general use within the last three to four decades, following China’s shift towards capitalism. With the sudden opening up of the Chinese economy to the West, there was suddenly a multitude of new opportunities available to the Chinese people, specifically to make more money, and lead a better life. However, unlike in America where it has long been believed that anyone’s dreams could be achieved so long as they were willing to work hard, the same may is not true in China. The number of opportunities available in China are limited, partly due to the large population size, but also due to the limited level of development in China overall.

This idiom in Chinese: 争先恐后, zhēng xiān kǒng hòu

There is therefore an incredible amount of competition to secure the best opportunities, which leads to an incredible amount of stress and worry among the Chinese populace, especially the younger generation and the poorer segments of the population who do not have things handed to them on a silver platter by wealthy and well connected relatives. Below I list two examples of the pressures Chinese people often face in their daily lives.

Education in China

Education can be a very stressful affair in China. Chinese parents are keen to secure the best possible educational opportunities for their children, as those with the best education have a better chance to get the best jobs, and are also looked up to as being more cultured. Many Chinese also see higher education  institutions as a chance to build strong relationship networks, which is important to doing business in China. However, deficiencies in the Chinese education system make it very difficult for all Chinese to have access to these opportunities.

One example is the entrance examination, also known as the Gaokao (高考). On one hand there are a shortage of open slots at Chinese universities, and only the top scorers on the Gaokao have a reasonable chance to receive a university education. Together with the fact that it can be very difficult for would be students to apply again a year or two later,  along with  stagnant bureaucracies at many schools, the result is that many students may only have one shot to “make it.” Therefore throughout their young lives, Chinese students are increasingly pressured by their parents and their schools to study and absorb as much information as possible to try and ensure their own futures.

Marriage in China

Marriage is also incredibly important to the Chinese. The married man (or woman) is not only in a position to provide grandchildren for their parents (and continue the family line), but can also look forward to a more stable life, and the acceptance of their friends, family and society.  Unlike more relaxed ideas on marriage in Western society, the majority of young Chinese in their early to late 20’s are subjected to strong pressure to marry sooner rather than later. If a Chinese person, especially a woman, is unmarried at or over the age of 30, it is not only frowned upon, but can lead to negative pressure from family and friends.

Thus, young Chinese women are often in a rush to find a partner with suitable “conditions” (e.g. a car, a house, an acceptable salary, the right personality) before they reach the cutoff age of 30, after which most Chinese men will no longer be interested in them.  Young Chinese men face a different, yet equally frustrating struggle. While it is easier for men to marry after the age of 30, in many regions in China the man is often expected to provide a car or a house as part of the wedding agreement. Generally, Chinese men face greater financial pressure than woman in this regard, especially if they want to be able to woo the best girls. So, all young Chinese sooner or later will have to deal with the pressure and stress of finding that special someone  in a market where demand is often much greater than supply.

Thanks for reading!

Do you have any additional thoughts or questions on the stress and pressures young Chinese people face in their everyday lives? Do you know any other useful Chinese idioms that are similar to the one above? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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