Interviewer: Chen Liwen
Theme：The Bright future of Japan and China
Mende So what is the theme today?
Chen The bright future of Japan and China.
Mende That’s a whopper! Chen, you are Chinese, so can you answer a few of my questions too?
Chen This is different! Am I now the interviewee?
Mende How come you chose this topic?
Chen I am Chinese, but often told that I seem very Japanese. So I think I can more objectively state some of the differences between Chinese and Japanese, but I am extremely self-conscious about it. If you can empathize a little with my point of view, it might be useful in some LPA business situations.
Mende That`s good. Let’s start with a question I am really interested in; how do you think the Japanese and Chinese should get along together?
Chen Compared to Japan, China is by far more populated, so I think self-assertion is stronger. If you don`t speak up, you go unheard and are just one of the crowd. So I think the drive to stand out is very strong. I don`t think there is any problem with coming on strong and holding your ground. On the other hand, one could do away with the formality of Japanese business and just relate in a more friendly way. Openly attacking the situation yourself is not a bad idea. Off the subject, over half of Japanese are type A and over half of Chinese are type B, a little terrifying, don`t you think!
Of course, individually personalities are different, backgrounds are different. Everyone can`t be treated the same, and it is necessary to analyze each situation for what it is. For example, instead of email, which the Japanese prefer, a phone call is better. You can learn a lot about one`s personality, by the way, one talks on the phone, their tone of voice, changes in intonation, etc. Then acting accordingly is important.
Mende Yes, it is the same in Japan to treat individuals differently.
Chen Yes, the principal is the same, but I think the Chinese show more emotion and in business, this is easy to understand. Maybe a lucky trait.
Mende However, sometimes I feel like `oh, this is a person I can relate to and speak frankly with`, but it turns out to be totally wrong. Why is this?
Chen Right now I don`t think China is a developing nation, but an economic superpower is more like it. In business, everyone is out to make a profit. As long as you are working together towards this joint goal the small talk and business talk seem to flow smoothly. When this foundation is gone, the goal to make a profit together is also gone so there is no need to be chummy anymore. This is the natural line of thinking in China. For healthy business operations, you just have to think of this as part of the business process. Don`t the Japanese have a saying; love lasts as long as money endures. The technique is to keep the money flowing with a future joint business venture.
Mende Quite the utilitarian society.
I heard once that in Osaka, they don`t mind spending money on things, but not for knowledge. So establishing a design business is very difficult in this area of Japan. Maybe in China too, they don`t place a value on the business of selling design, such as design offices like LPA.
Chen I didn`t know that about Osaka. Maybe China used to be like that, but now China is starving for knowledgeable human resources. Highly skilled foreign workers can earn a very good living in China nowadays. But maybe it is becoming oversaturated and the influx of Japanese intellectual property is a bit scary. Leaving a final option on the table is always wise! There is an old story in China about a cat and his teacher, a tiger. The cat learned many things from his teacher, but the tiger hid the skill to climb trees and didn`t teach the cat. One day, the fierce nature of the tiger came out and he decided to eat the cat. But the cat scampered up a tree and out of reach, saving his life. Yes, China is very utilitarian, and maybe more capitalistic than most capitalistic countries. But I don`t think this is bad for Japan or LPA. For the bright future of Japan and China, we can work together to recognize business chances and achieve profits.
Mende This was a heavy topic. I`m not completely convinced, but it was a very interesting talk. Shall we tackle this subject again sometime?
Chen This topic could become a life work! Reflect on today’s conversation and if you feel we should have another round, please make some time in your schedule! Thank you!
