Since the inception of the reform and opening up policy in the late 1970s in China, lots of trade opportunities are provided to western enterprises. At the same time, western businessmen are facing more and more problems. In this paper, three main problems will be outlined, and the possible solution hereto provided. .
First and foremost, China's legal system is rather different from the western countries' on account of China's characteristic system of socialism. A lawful business activity of a westerner according to the law of his home country may violate Chinese law, and results in unnecessary loss. Other similar problems may occur. Therefore, it is desirable for a westerner to make every effort to be familiar with the differences.
Furthermore, language is another vital problem. In some places of China, English has not been popularized; hence, many people cannot speak English. Because of the language obstacle, it is hard for a westerner to do business. The best way to solve the problem is to employ those Chinese with good English.
Finally, culture difference causes some problems. China, with 5000 years' antiquated history, has a series of specially ancient, traditional and conservative culture, which is in conflict with the modern and open western culture. In the process of doing business with Chinese businessmen, sometimes misunderstanding may happen owing to differential work style resulting from culture difference, thereby causing disagreement. Communicating with each other as much as possible and adopting international customs may contribute to solving the culture problem. .
To be concluded, three main problems that may face a Westerner doing business in China are those in respect of legal system, language and culture. Solutions to the above problems are to try to localize employment and understand China's legal system and culture. In order to do business successful in China, it is essential to consider all possible problems in advance and make adequate preparation.
