10 Myths about the Chinese

I have been working for different top-tier companies in my industry for around 10 years, in the UK and Continental Europe. As a Chinese person, I know from my experience that fitting into a new environment is hard when you are a foreigner, especially if you are from a country that is not well-known and associated with negative stereotypes. Luckily after some adjustment time my work colleagues and I have built some very precious friendships and shared unforgettable moments.

The following are 10 common myths around the Chinese that I have often encountered in Western environments and my explanation.

1. Chinese people are hard-working. Many of them are nerds.

NOT ALL TRUE. The fact is that in order to be hired by companies across the UK, a foreign professional such as Chinese should have outstanding skills in a certain area, such as Maths, IT, etc.. in order to be able to obtain a Working Visa.

2. Chinese people don't talk while they are working.

FALSE. We are simply saying fewer words because it is harder to speak a foreign language. Besides, the percentage of introverts in Asian countries are higher than other areas in the world. It does not mean we don't want to communicate! If you allow sufficient time to get to know us, you will find we are as communicative as any other nationality.

3. Chinese people are good with numbers but not good with words.

NOT ALL TRUE. I think this is partially true. Besides the fact that English is foreign language for us, the use of verbal language generally is not something that it is encouraged by Chinese culture. I think all Asian cultures such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean and others give more emphasis to understanding others (through verbal and non-verbal communication, observation, thinking, etc..) rather than using verbal communication only. I think in the UK people tend to use verbal communication more (speaking a lot of words) and give credit to something that is said and heard, rather than something that is observed or implicitly understood.

Besides, as I said in 1) the only Chinese who were hired by Top UK companies are who have outstanding skills in some areas, such as Maths. I'm sure they are a lot of Chinese who are good with words too, but it is more difficult to compete with native speakers.

4. Chinese are cruel and super competitive.

FALSE. This is not true. The fact that many Chinese people work abroad is because the salary is higher in countries such as the UK than China. When work is your only target you tend to behave more aggressively and competitively than other staff who are there simply because ... they live nearby. But Chinese are not more competitive or cruel than any other nationality for sure!

5. Chinese people are money-obsessed and only care about money.

NOT ALL TRUE. I'm afraid this is partially true. China is a very diverse country by itself and sometimes it is very difficult to communicate and understand each other even among the Chinese themselves. Therefore, money have become a commodity which is well understood throughout China. I guess this is also true in big cities such as London, where people care about money a lot more than let's say smaller towns and villages in the UK.

The other reason why Chinese are extremely obsessed with money is because the lack of Social Security systems in China, such as Public Healthcare, Pension and other Benefits for vulnerable groups. I heard from a Chinese friend saying, "how can I not care about money when in China I cannot get medical treatment without paying?". Until very recently, we have heard many news that some poor people in China were refused medical treatment because they were not able to pay. This has improved a lot recently but still the painful memory remained in people's minds.

6. Chinese people don't mix up with other nationalities

FALSE. This is totally not true. Chinese people are very social and they love to communicate, sometimes too much and it becomes a burden on other people! I think in this case everyone should ask themselves if they have been as welcoming as they should have. (Just kidding)

The other reason why there is a general belief that Chinese people are not social is because there are a lot of short-term Chinese visitors in the UK: business people, students, tourists... If someone wants to live in this country for a long term, he/she will need to socialize with locals even it is only out of necessity.

Personally I think I don't go often to local social activities such as drinking and partying out of personal preference. If you ask my out to eat Chinese hotpot in Chinatown, I would be very happy to do so! And you don't need to be Chinese to eat Chinese food. (Just kidding)

7. Chinese people fear confrontation.

MAYBE. Mmm... I think this is something that it is true. In general Chinese dislike confrontation and try to avoid it as much as they can. But whether they feel afraid or not is subjective. Historically China has hardly ever been a warrior country with few exceptions. In general Chinese culture encourage cooperation and harmony over competition and confrontation. I think whether a winner from a conflict or competition should feel proud of his/her own "strength" is subjective too. Perhaps for some people it is not as important to win as an individual as the overall winning as a group.

8. Chinese people don't follow the rules

FALSE. Again this is something that I believe it should be taken to the context. In general the legal system in China is less developed than Western countries, therefore there are no rules in many cases or the rules are unclear. This gives a lot freedom to operate businesses in China and people take advantage of legal loopholes to make fortunes. The downside of this situation is that businesses are a lot riskier and sometimes harmful for the society. There was a saying in China around 10 years ago "Anyone can make profit in China as long as he/she has a pair of balls!". What this is saying is that it was a lot easier to make profit in China just by taking a lot of risk (such as legal risk) rather than following the best business practice. Luckily this is no longer as true as before because Chinese government has been recently enforcing their legal system a lot.

9. Chinese people can be easily fooled.

PARTIALLY TRUE. The reason why Chinese people can be easily fooled by... let's say White Westerners is as consequence of lack of deeper knowledge, also that Westerners are viewed as more knowledgeable and credible in China. Besides, as a fresh foreigner in this country, we are more open to new experiences and viewpoints and not too influenced by existing thinking patterns (so called "Common Sense").

10. Chinese are racist towards some minorities such as Black or Indian.

FALSE. First of all, I think there is a lot of ignorance about other ethnic groups in China apart of White. There is a lack of anti-racism laws in China which makes people openly expressing their rejection. But the same comes the opposite way, I have been experiencing racism in Western countries too. I think we all need to think less about our differences and more think about the common ground.

BONUS: Chinese people are like kids and they are forever young.

TRUE. This is totally true.