Legal Sector

September 15, 2016

This must be the sixth arbitration hearing at which I’m interpreting.  As with the previous five, I see the clash in business culture being played out in front of my eyes as a common cause for disputes.  Here are a few indicators. Chinese firms often sign contracts without fully understanding their binding nature. The approach of ‘now we’ve signed the contract, let’s discuss the price’ is still quite common. Chinese companies tend to operate more verbally than in writing.  They often rely on phone calls to resolve issues. The lack of rigour in their systems can appear to be almost irresponsible under closer scrutiny. Being able to observe such a clash in culture is a truly unique experience. Dr Kevin Lin