But Chinese have changed!

"But Chinese have changed!" The first—certainly not the last—criticism of my book. From a Chinese, though I expect to hear this from Westerners too (romantics or newbies). So, how to respond?

Have Chinese changed? Yes, they have.
Have Chinese changed? No, they haven't.

First off, when anyone, myself included, talks of "the Chinese" they are talking about a people in motion, a culture and society in transition. Sure, differences occur in all peoples, but I wager less in Switzerland or Canada than in Chinese Asia. Where 100 years ago the "Chinese" were nicely sorted into identifiable and homogeneous groups with few deviants (like Sun Yat Sen, Kang You Wei and all Chinese wanting to change China), today the "Chinese" range from totally modernized (which means what?) sophisticates to wash-clothes-in-the-stream traditionalists. Generalizations are inevitable, impossible to avoid, but dangerous and should be made with care.

Back to the point. Change in Chinese Asia. In 2006 I taught my Logical Thinking and Communication 3-day workshop in Taiwan to every Vice President of a huge Western bank. Thoroughly modern in appearance, each armed with an MBA or better, most from 'name' Western schools, if any Chinese have changed it would be this group and others like it.

Damn it was a fun class, my favorite kind of students, experienced enough to grasp why learning logic is crucial to their success.

So, it is obvious that these Chinese have changed. Dress, manners, bearing, all different than before (and from bankers working today for Chinese banks). Most married late or were still single in the mid 30s, and only one couple had two children , the rest had one or none, and no one said they cared about girl or boy. Wow! HUGE changes: ancestor worship is older than Confucius, and here in one generation is has been replaced by middle-class values, make money and enjoy life.

But ... I taught this group the same culture stuff I teach all Chinese, and no one blinked. I described the Chinese Rules of Communication, rules like "don't disagree openly," "don't let other people know you don't understand" and "being polite is most important." All agreed, all said these were the rules they were taught, and still followed. I described the Chinese education system, based almost entirely on memorization, almost no attention placed on student thoughts or opinions, almost no experience in debate or discussion. All agreed. I touched on the role of guanxi (which really means mutually shared obligations, not relationships!) in business and life, and no one complained.

I use avalanches and glaciers (borrowed from a French anthropologist who's name I've lost: anyone know?) to explain the different types of changes. Avalanche changes are dramatic, fast-moving and obvious to anyone walking the streets of any big Chinese city. The dress, the cars, crowded Starbucks and MacDonalds, people's English ability and general worldliness. The there are the absolutely beautiful buildings, hotel lobbies fashioned from square acres of marble, granite and cash, skyscrapers vying for world-record heights.

Then there are the glacier changes, slower and far less dramatic. Changes in the education system, in the importance of family, in the role of guanxi in business and the use of traditional Rules of communication and overall politeness, these all are changing, but very s l o w l y. Very slowly! Also changing but very slowly is the Chinese attitude towards law and relationships; it is still a ching li fa society (relationships are more important than law).

So, have Chinese changed? Yes. No. Both are true. If so, which are the most important for Westerners doing business with the Chinese? (This is a business blog after all). I argue that the changes that haven`t happened, the glacier changes, are the most important. The avalanche changes make life in Chinese Asia easier for Westerners and add to possible business opportunities, true, but success or failure depends on Westerners understanding glacier items. Which is more important to business success, how a Chinese dresses or how they communicate? Myself, I can work with people dressed up, down or naked, who cares? But if I frequently misunderstand them (to use just one example: this is a blog, not a book) business success will be elusive at best.

To Chinese who think Chinese have changed, please take a breath and consider the differences between avalanche and glacier changes. I will agree with any avalanche changes you argue for, but ... until you can prove to me that the Chinese education system has changed, that guanxi doesn't rule business and that Chinese are taught to disagree openly and to ask the boss, teacher or father possibly embarrassing questions, I will continue to say that the Chinese have not changed.

I believe that the key to change is the education system formal (school) and informal (parents). Until Chinese are taught to think for themselves, to debate, discuss and develop their own ideas and beliefs, well, China and the Chinese won't change. Yes, the avalanche will continue to change the outer appearance of Chinese people and infrastructure, but the far-more-important glacier changes will still happen with, well, glacier slowness. Think decades or generation, not months and years.