This final point-striving to create harmony in a group-frequently baffles Westerners. In a group situation, Chinese business people will structure the way they talk quite differently than Westerners. Often, Chinese style includes quick speech, frequent turn-taking, avoidance of pauses, repetitious speech and participatory leadership. All of these things confuse foreigners. Western business people may not be able to follow the conversational flow because the Chinese may speak too fast at times, or move quickly, jumping from point to point in a non-linear fashion. Moreover, various group members often repeat topics and sentences, sometimes several times. A Chinese subordinate could finish, or add to the sentence spoken by his leader; this is considered highly inappropriate by Western standards.

Chinese conversational norms, remember, are based on Confucian ideology. The goal of the speakers is to convey warmth, affiliation and a sense of solidarity-as opposed to simply exchanging information, clinching a deal efficiently and going on to the next thing. Every Chinese wants the people involved, foreign and Chinese alike, feeling as if he or she is being treated as a friend rather than a business partner. During business negotiations, personal experiences are brought up in order to generate warmth and connection between the parties. Small talk and personal vignettes encourage closer relationships. In contrast, Westerners separate the personal from the business, and feel frustrated by this "excess" chat.

In conclusion, Confucian tradition values the subtle aspects of feeling and relationship over the impersonal transmission of information. The Western way of channeling facts is efficient but impersonal. These cultural differences in assumptions about the function of language have significant effects on Chinese/Western communications, despite the fact that either party may be bilingual. The best thing to do when in China is relaxed: enjoy the relationship building process. Consider the idea that business deals represent more than mutually beneficial contracts. They also can establish long-term interpersonal cooperation and harmony for everyone involved.