STRATEGIC PRAGMATISM BLOG

Excerpts thatĀ Strategic Pragmatism for De-risking Post-Covid ChinaĀ will tie togetherĀ to helpĀ readers gain a tactical and psychological advantage playing the China game inside the Chinese arena.

Chinese Youth Disillusionment: Managing Revolution & Crisis art of war ccp china business chinese culture chinese employees chinese psychology covid-19 Oct 10, 2024

We live in a transitional period in geopolitics and world history. In the abstract, the Thucydides Trap is converging with the race for AI general intelligence in the post-COVID new normal of great power competition between the United States and China. Information is the only currency and weapon...

Continue Reading...
Periods of Collective Chinese Memory and their Ramifications china china business chinese culture chinese history chinese psychology empathy negotiations Jul 08, 2024

History is woven from different narratives, perspectives, and interpretations, and there is a saying that "History is written by victors." Perhaps more poignantly, Hermann Göring, Churchill's enemy in World War II, is recorded as saying at the Nuremberg trials, "The victor will always be the...

Continue Reading...
 
Thriving in China's NEW post-Covid Normal - The Challenges (Part 1) china china business chinese culture chinese employees chinese psychology chinese thinking covid-19 new normal Jun 19, 2024

Regardless of your opinions about China, you are undoubtedly aware of our collective challenge to improve cross-cultural communication and work more collaboratively. Prior misunderstandings that could more easily be forgiven or even funny are more contentious today and require a higher level of...

Continue Reading...
How to maintain success in China via "Guanxi Engine" china business chinese culture chinese psychology guanxi guanxi engine May 10, 2024

Every interaction in China can either improve a relationship or activate a cloak of deception called goodwill extraction. While this might sound dramatic, it simply contrasts the possible outcomes of every engagement you'll encounter doing business in China. Once you understand your interactions...

Continue Reading...
Beyond Regulations: Psychological Impact of Jack Ma's Ant Financial IPO Fail ccp chinese culture chinese psychology chinese regulations geopolitics guanxi Apr 30, 2024

Jack Ma's Ant Financial (rebranded as Ant Group) IPO debacle encapsulates a complex interplay between China's rapidly evolving tech sector and an opaque and reactive regulatory framework hierarchically disincentivized against market-oriented decisions. It's a Guanxi-based paradox disguised to...

Continue Reading...
 
Perception and Propaganda: Decoding China's National Security Messaging china chinese culture chinese psychology chinese thinking geopolitics propaganda Apr 23, 2024

When opposing perceptions interact, deceptive illusions begin festering in the mind's eye, and our natural biases reinforce false narratives with real consequences. Perceptions, by definition, are created using senses to form insights and intuitions that are prone to be misleading, which is why...

Continue Reading...
The Emotional Journey of Chinese Employees chinese employees chinese psychology cultural dichotomy guanxi Apr 17, 2024

As a Western leader in China, should you be concerned that promoting someone invariably leads to others feeling apprehensive (ē„¦č™‘ JiāolĒœ)?

Managing Chinese employees is simple: tell them what to do.

Leading Chinese employees is complicated for Western leaders, requiring a deep understanding of...

Continue Reading...