Book Description

Grasp China is a comprehensive guidebook for business professionals and company executives to become “China Experts” in a very short period of time. When working or conducting business in China, there are so many critical but untold cultural and business secrets that are never written down even by local Chinese. For instance, do you know that you should not accept business dinner invitation easily because it signals a commitment? Are you curious why your local partner refuses to hire people from certain provinces in China? The four sections in the book cover all the critical aspects business travellers and expats must know before they land in the country. The first section focuses on the key notion of “China is not one China” through the lens of geography, city tier classification, and income disparity. Section two covers common and up-to-date social topics popular amongst the locals, and can be used as an ice breaker. Some of the topics are real estate prices, common regional stereotypes, China mobile internet, etc. Section three goes deeper into the nuances of the Chinese business world: unspoken business rules, dining and drinking etiquette, gifting, etc. Section four is a survival guide providing tips on traveling and living in China. To make the book more interesting as an engaging read on your flight to China, and at the same time avoid the common mistakes in other China books of being too abstract and non-practical, the author used many real-life case studies from her years of professional experience and networking on the ground to illustrate the different aspects of today’s business world and people’s daily lives in China. These real-life examples help explain the different aspects of Chinese culture in a straightforward way, making the book really easy and fun to read, allowing the readers to quickly “internalize” the materials. “China is a big country with a lot of complexities in culture, customs, traditions, and habits. Most people found it very challenging to learn how to do business or develop a professional relationship. It is admirable that Christine was able to crystallize the crucial insights and lessons in simple and yet penetrating forms. The personal experiences and stories added so much color. The book is a must-read for people without much exposure to China, but even for veterans, I think you will learn a lot of new perspectives and gain new insights from reading the book.” - Professor Hau Lee, Stanford Graduate School of Business "Christine has provided simple but useful information for anyone involved in China. A good primer." - Achal Agarwal, President, Kimberly-Clark Asia Pacific “Chinese mobile internet is in many ways leadings the world trend, and affecting the daily lives of over a billion people, especially the younger generations. In Grasp China, Christine articulated this unique landscape through vivid examples to give perspective visitors a practical guide of this exciting digital world.” - Rui Yu, CEO of Yihaodian (Largest online grocer in China)