Chinese business culture: trust, cooperation and time

A conversation about working together

As part of the October 12, 2026, program at Shanghai Business School in Shanghai, the group attended a class on business culture and cooperation between people from different countries. The Q&A connected the topic with questions from those who lead teams, negotiate partnerships and seek to understand a new market.

The collective, trust and a long-term horizon were central themes of the class. These perspectives are useful as starting points for investigation. People, organizations and sectors have different experiences; paying attention to those differences makes the conversation more precise.

Creating benefit before sharing the returns

Cooperation was presented as an attempt to expand the benefit available to those involved. In the explanation given to the group, a business relationship can include possibilities beyond an immediate purchase: building a joint offering, developing a market or solving a problem together.

This changes how the conversation is prepared. Alongside presenting what the startup sells, it is worth understanding what the other party needs to achieve and which combination of capabilities could produce a better result. Price remains relevant, but becomes part of a discussion with more variables.

As complementary context, the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School organizes mutual-gains negotiation into three steps: clarify interests, develop options and evaluate those options against agreed criteria. This approach offers a tool for turning the idea of cooperation into concrete work. Negotiation and value creation, PON.

The collective and individual development

A question from the group opened a discussion about the relationship between individual merit and participation in a collective. The answer acknowledged education and personal growth while highlighting the need to work within networks of relationships and contribute to shared results.

The class also compared what motivates collaboration. In the perspective presented, cooperation can arise because a person encounters the limits of working alone or because they already place importance on the collective. The distinction concerns motivation, rather than the presence or absence of individual talent.

For a founder, the application is to examine the incentives within a specific team: what each person considers recognition, how they see their responsibility and how they understand their colleagues' contributions. Discussing these points helps align expectations without reducing people to their nationality.

Trust begins with understanding the other person's role

In the Q&A on bringing Brazilian and Chinese professionals together, the recommendation was to start with responsibilities: what each person came to do, which objectives they need to meet and where they could use support. The suggestion was presented as personal guidance based on experience.

Support during adjustment also came up in the conversation. Providing practical information about the city and creating opportunities to spend time together were examples of a welcoming approach. The point was to make the relationship clearer and closer while retaining both sides' interests.

The relationship can develop through meetings and meals, with patience before putting pressure on a negotiation. For entrepreneurs, this is time to understand the other person and demonstrate consistency. The pace should be discussed with the people involved.

This human dimension can sit alongside a clear professional routine. Agreeing on responsibilities, deliverables and follow-ups can translate respect into observable behavior. Trust takes shape through attention to the person and consistency in the work.

Listening and making room for disagreement

Listening without interrupting and being thoughtful about how to disagree help create a productive conversation. Questions and suggestions can make room to explain differences while preserving respect and avoiding unnecessarily putting the other person on the spot. The most appropriate approach depends on the relationship, the setting and people's preferences.

For a founder, the application is to confirm what has been understood and ask for examples before concluding that an agreement has been reached. Keeping commitments and flagging difficulties early also make the relationship more predictable. A thoughtful conversation becomes stronger when followed by delivery and clear communication.

Differences call for communication and a willingness to resolve them

The discussion of conflict highlighted the parties' willingness to continue cooperating. The useful question was what sustains a relationship when expectations differ or execution becomes difficult. The class connected communication, an interest in continuing and an understanding of the shared benefit.

To put this reflection into practice, a team can separate three questions: what happened, how each side interpreted it and which decision needs to be made. This exercise creates room to listen before attributing intentions.

UNESCO MGIEP associates intercultural competence with listening, respect, curiosity, openness, reflection and an understanding of other perspectives. This framework complements the class by treating communication as a skill that can be developed. Intercultural competence, UNESCO MGIEP.

The long term needs verifiable steps

Planning, stability and resilience appeared in the presentation as qualities valued in building business relationships. The discussion also noted that these qualities are present in other cultures. The lesson is to pay attention to each partner's time horizon.

An expansion proposal may involve different timelines for validating a product, winning customers and recovering an investment. Making these expectations explicit helps establish whether the project has a shared ambition. A lasting relationship needs criteria for assessing its progress.

As an application for startups, a small pilot can test the relationship before a larger commitment: a defined problem, responsible people, a success criterion and a date to decide the next step. The long-term horizon sets the direction, while near-term deliverables help the team learn.

Whether to cooperate or compete depends on the context

The closing discussion included a question about companies in the same sector. The answer avoided choosing an absolute model. Cooperation can make sense given the capabilities available and the challenge of developing a market; in other situations, a company may choose to move forward independently.

For founders, the analysis starts with scope: in which activity does collaboration create value, which resources does each party offer and how will decisions be made? Two organizations can share a specific project while maintaining their own strategies elsewhere. Defining the boundary of collaboration makes the proposal clearer.

Adapting the offering and understanding the channels

Market research and adapting the proposition help make sense of a new market. Value for money, convenience and reputation can serve as hypotheses to investigate within defined segments. Customer interviews, usage tests and observing channels help reveal what actually matters in a purchasing decision.

KFC offers a public example of localization. In a release dated January 18, 2022, Yum China described products inspired by regional cuisines, including breakfast congee and Wuhan noodles. The company presented adaptation as part of its menu innovation strategy. KFC regional adaptation, Yum China.

For a startup, the exercise is to discover which parts of the offering need to change: functionality, presentation, service or distribution. A local partner can help explain channels and purchasing habits; that contribution needs to be evaluated in practice. Understanding the audience's consumption occasions and festivals can also guide more relevant tests.

The bridge between Brazil and China needs operational translation

As public context, on August 11, 2025, the Ministry of Integration and Regional Development announced a memorandum with China focused on cooperation in regional development. The priorities described included regional innovation, productive activities and exchanges of experience. Bilateral cooperation announced by the MIDR.

This institutional agenda provides context for opportunities to connect. For a startup, the opportunity needs to be built around a specific problem, an identified counterpart and a proposal that makes sense for both sides. Knowledge of Brazilian customers, technological capability and local operations can enter the conversation as hypotheses about complementary strengths.

The work of translation goes beyond language. It includes confirming what deliverables mean, the authority of those negotiating, the decision-making process and the expected result. With this, a visit can become more than an exchange of business cards and turn into a sequence of useful conversations.

Questions to take into your next meeting

A first step toward testing the partnership