The Global Phoenix - Issue 4 The Global Phoenix - Issue 4 | Page 26

5. What about international schooling?
In first-tier cities there are plenty of international schools to choose from. In second-tier cities,
there are generally still more than at least two international schools.
Government restrictions mean that only children holding foreign (non-Chinese) passports
can enroll in international schools.
6. From your experience, what are the biggest challenges for western expats
relocating to China?
The most difficult part of Chinese culture for westerners is perhaps the fact that Chinese
society operates on two levels: there is the transparent side, with obvious rules of etiquette
that everyone knows, and then there are the unspoken rules which are only learnt through
experience, and that you discover as you integrate more into the local culture and ‘get a feel’
as to how to move.
As an example of Chinese etiquette, when you offer a Chinese person a drink, and they
reply ‘no’, it doesn’t mean they are refusing the offer, they are merely being polite. The host
therefore should insist, even if the individual continues to refuse. This is viewed as politeness
on the part of the person offering. On the other hand, when a Chinese person really wants to
say no, they usually won’t say it directly, and instead will give other reasons. This is also out of
politeness. In this case, the host should know from intuition that the answer really is ‘no’ and
should not confront the individual to confirm the refusal, it would be appropriate to merely
change the topic of conversation.
This style of interchange can get complicated for a foreigner, however most Chinese accept
and make allowances for the fact that the majority of foreigners do not comprehend the fine
details of etiquette.
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