David Dayton:
You won’t change China.
You can either learn how to work within it or constantly fight against it. I find that it’s usually some of both.
When you make small cultural mistakes like not using the public chopsticks or bowing (Chinese don’t bow) or slapping a female co-worker on the shoulder or a million other little things you’ll be completely forgiven. It’ll just be chalked up to “stupid foreigner.”
But when you make demands on a broken contract or hold people accountable in public for personal mistakes or force specific processes to get things done you will be punished for it. I promise.