新闻资讯 – Page 32 – HACOS Business Service

A Song Celebrating the Africa-Guangdong Friendship Goes Viral!

“Neither mountain nor sea,

can separate us.

Through hardship we fight,

sharing a common destiny.

It’s one for all and all for one.”

As the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit convenes in Beijing on September 3rd and 4th, symbolising a new chapter in China-Africa relations, Tabou, a Senegalese singer living in Guangzhou for 4 years now, performed the song “one for all and all for one” to celebrate Africa-Guangdong friendship.

A Song Celebrating the Africa-Guangdong Friendship Goes Viral!

Tabou singing the song ‘one for all and all for one’ in Canton Plaza [Photo/Steven, Newsgd.com]

“My mom, a businesswoman engaged in China-Africa trading, used to be based in Guangzhou. She was the one who invited me to first come here 4 years ago.”

“I’ve tried to blend African music with Chinese and Cantonese culture and relate experience living in the city.” Feifei told the reporter. “In future, my dreams include working on a movie talking about Africans living in Guangzhou.”

A Song Celebrating the Africa-Guangdong Friendship Goes Viral!

The Africa Guangdong Business Association (AGBA) was established in Nairobi, Capital of Kenya on Aug.3rd [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]

Driven by the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Guangdong continues to foster economic and cultural ties to Africa. Many “bridge builders” are devoting themselves to the Africa-Guangdong partnership。

A Song Celebrating the Africa-Guangdong Friendship Goes Viral!

Wale Oloko, Consul General of Nigeria in Guangzhou [Photo/Steven, Newsgd.com]

There are 10 African Consulates General in Guangzhou, outnumbering other Chinese cities in this regard. In accordance with figures released by Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province, in early 2017, Cantonese enterprises set up 29 branches in Africa and the number had increased to 244 by the end of last year.

Tracy Huo, vice-chairman of Africa Guangdong Business Association (AGBA), is one such “bridge builder”, having initiated the first China-Africa Economic and Cultural Week in Guangzhou this April.

According to Tracy, high priority should be given to cross-cultural talent cultivation, as a result “AGBA founded a commercial school in Africa and designed a core curriculum, focused on establishing a talent pool there.”

Huo Dongming, the head of DD Brother Group, believes that “the deepening friendship between China and Africa is attracting Cantonese enterprises to invest in more diverse areas.”

Since 2012, his corporation have invested in Tanzania, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, pouring money into precast concrete pipe infrastructure, networking and education charities. He thinks that Chinese enterprises should work on projects that will benefit African people so as to receive public support and lay a solid foundation for future cooperation.

How Chinese Say “No” In Various Ways? Hard Thing To Do!

Saying “no” is often a very hard thing to do – especially for Chinese people when dealing with acquaintances. This causes them to sometimes say “yes,” or other words, when they actually mean “no.”

How Chinese Say

For this reason, you may find it is difficult to refuse food or drink in China, as it may seem that no one is taking your “no” for a real refusal. Don’t worry, we know this sounds confusing. This cultural difference is the cause of several misunderstandings, hence the article you’re reading today!

Two types of refusals

There are two types of refusals in Chinese culture. One is a “real refusal,” while the other is “ritual refusal.”

How Chinese Say

Real refusal

For a given invitation, sometimes people will offer an invitation merely as a ritual to show politeness (called a “ritual invitation”). This type of invitation often occurs at the end of the interactions, and functions as a proper way to say goodbye and keep a relationship open.

How Chinese Say

For example

A: 有空来我们家玩啊(Yǒu kòng lái wǒ men jiā wán a.) Come and visit my home when available.

B: 好，到时打电话吧。(Hǎo, dào shí dǎ diàn huà ba.) Ok, I’ll call you then.

In this ritual invitation, A (the inviter) didn’t give many details about the invitation. Normally, B (the invitee) tends to accept the invitation without asking for further information.

How Chinese Say

In some case, for instance, when the invitee is not sure whether the invitation is real or ritual, the invitee will refuse the invitation to ascertain whether or not the inviter really had the intention of inviting them along.

Refusal of Invitations

改天吧(gǎi tiān ba) Maybe another day,

下次吧(xià cì ba) Maybe next time,

以后/回头再说(yǐ hòu /huí tóu zài shuō) Talk about it later.

Ritual refusal

Sometimes, it is difficult to guess whether an invitation is real or merely a ritual one. In this case, a ritual refusal can be used to judge the real intention of the inviter. If the inviter doesn’t insist on inviting a second time, the first invitation can be interpreted as a ritual one, and declining is an appropriate way to respond.

How Chinese Say

However, if the response of the inviter indicates that his invitation was serious, accepting the invitation is the appropriate way to respond.

For example

(Scenario: A and B are old school friends, one day they ran into each other on the street. An invited B have dinner together.)

A: 我们一起去吃饭吧，我请客。(Wǒ men yì qǐ qù chī fàn ba, wǒ qǐng kè.) Let’s dine out together, I’ll take care of the bill.

B: 还是我来吧。(Hái shì wǒ lái ba.) I’ll pay for it.

A: 跟老同学还客气啊。(Gēn lǎo tóng xué hái kè qì a.) There’s no need for so much courtesy to your old classmate!)

B: 那好吧，下次我请。 (Nà hǎo ba, xià cì wǒ qǐng.) Ok, I’ll treat you next time.

Refusal of offers

不用了(bú yòng le) Not necessary.

太麻烦你了(tài má fán nǐ le) It bothers you too much.

别忙了(bié máng le) Please do not bother.

Chinese people tend to decline gifts multiple times before finally accepting them. This is a ritualistic way to show modesty and to avoid indications of personal greed. Usually, formulaic expressions of politeness will be used to refuse gifts ritually, such as “你太客气了。(Nǐ tài kè qì le.) You are being too kind./不好意思。(Bù hǎo yì si.) Sorry to bother you.”

How Chinese Say

Expressions

These expressions can be considered as sign of ritual refusals. Sometimes, questioning the giver of the gifts are used in this type of refusal, such as “干嘛带东西来? (Gàn má dài dōng xi lái?) Why do you bring gifts?”/“干嘛买这么多东西呢?(Gàn má mǎi zhè me duō dōng xi ne?) Why do you buy so many things?”

For example

A: 这是送给你的。(Zhè shì song gěi nǐ de.) This is for you.

B: 干嘛带东西来啊? (Gàn má dài dōng xi lái?) Why do you bring gifts?)

A: 这是我的一点心意，请收下吧。(Zhè shì wǒ de yì diǎn xīnyì, qǐng shōu xià ba.) This is a little token, please take it.

B: 你太客气了。(Nǐ tài kè qì le.) You are too kind.

Like gifts, Chinese people tend to decline favours multiple times. In Chinese culture, this behaviour is a polite way to show modesty, because it indicates the willingness to not put many troubles on others. Usually, direct refusal, e.g. “不用了(bú yòng le.) not necessary. ” “太麻烦你了(tài má fán nǐ le.) it bothers you too much. ” is a common way to ritually refuse favours.

A: 我开车送你回去吧。(Wǒ kāi chē song nǐ huí qù ba.) Let me drive you back.

B: 不用了，太麻烦了。(Bú yòng le, tài má fán le.) It is not necessary, I’ll bother you too much.

A: 没什么，别客气。(Méi shén me, bié kè qi.) It’s no big deal, don’t mention it.

B: 那好吧，谢谢。 (Nà hǎo ba. Xiè xie.) Alright then, thank you.

This ritual refusal before final acceptance also often happens when people offer food or drink, especially when it is offered by unfamiliar people.

How Chinese Say

That’s why when Chinese people offer you food or drink, and encourage you to “eat more,” they might end up giving you more and more food, even in spite of you saying “No, I’m full!” They interpret your refusal as ritual way to show politeness. To avoid eating more than you planned, I suggest you try “我现在不想吃。(Wǒ xiànzài bù xiǎng chī.) ”/ “谢谢，待会吧。(Xièxie, dāi huìr ba.)”

Refusal of unsolicited suggestions

我考虑考虑(Wǒ kǎo lǜ kǎo lǜ.)

我想想吧(Wǒ xiǎng xiǎng ba.)

– I will think about it.

Unsolicited commercial suggestions

Unsolicited commercial suggestions are often used by salespeople or advertisements when suggesting a purchase. The social distance between the salesperson and the listener plays an important role in the refusals of commercial suggestions.

How Chinese Say

When refusing commercial suggestions by strangers, a direct refusal is acceptable like “不要，谢谢。(Bú yào, xiè xie. No, thanks)”. When dealing with acquaintances, though, excuses and/or postponements such as “我考虑考虑。(Wǒ kǎo lǜ kǎo lǜ.)/我想想吧。(Wǒ xiǎng xiǎng ba.)” are often used.

Refusal of requests

If someone requests information or advice from someone who is not willing to give it, the person might employ a verbal avoidance strategy, such as switching the topic, postponement, or dodging the question, such as

– 我不太清楚。(Wǒ bú tài qīng chǔ.) I am not really sure.

Face

The Chinese concept of “face” and general characteristics of Chinese communication play a big part in how the Chinese choose to say no.

How Chinese Say

The Chinese try to protect/respect the “face” of friends or coworkers by hiding the truth and replacing it with something less embarrassing or negative. These hidden negations also exist in many other languages and countries, though they’re not always as clear as they are in Chinese.

Furthermore, times are changing, even in China – Chinese people are now not always indirect when saying “no,” especially amongst the younger generation.

Hopefully, now you can understand the differences a bit better, and have an easier time adapting to Chinese indirect refusal!

Have you encountered a similar case that makes you feel puzzled or confused in China? Comment please.

A Complete Guide To Chinese Number Hand Gestures! Keep It!

If you’ve been in China long enough, you’ve probably noticed that special hand gestures are used to express the numbers from one to ten.

Why is that?

China has many different dialects and sometimes it can be confusing for people from different regions to understand one another. Furthermore, a lot of words sound very similar in Chinese. For example the word for the number four, si, sounds very similar to ten, shi. Therefore, using hand signs can be very useful to clear up confusion when bargaining or doing business.

So let’s take a look at what these simple gestures are and how to form them. We’ve provided the characters and pinyin prononciations of each number as well.

1. One (一, ‘yī’)

Extend your index finger.

2. Two (二, ‘èr’ or 两, ‘liǎng’)

Extend both your index finger and middle finger.

3. Three (三, ‘sān’)

Extend your index finger, middle finger and ring finger.

4. Four (四, ‘sì’)

Extend your all four of your fingers (index, middle, ring and pinky).

5. Five (五, ‘wǔ’)

Extend all of your fingers plus your thumb.

6. Six (六, ‘liù’)

Make a “hang loose” sign: extend your pinky to one side and your thumb in the opposite direction. Fold your index, middle and ring fingers down against your palm.

7. Seven (七, ‘qī’)

All fingertips touch, or just the tips of the index finger, middle finger and thumb. Malaysian and/or Singaporean Chinese might interpret this as the number five. Locals of Guangdong and Hong Kong will interpret this as the number eight. This is the most common way. However, there is an alternative way where the thumb is extended, and the index and middle finger are also extended.

8. Eight (八, ‘bā’)

Point and extend your index finger in the air, and also extend your thumb, so that you make an “L” shape. Some people from other regions (Malaysian or Singaporean Chinese or people from Taiwan, Guangdong or Hong Kong) might interpret this as the number seven.

9. Nine (九, ‘jiǔ’)

Curl your index finger. Other fingers can be closed like a fist.

10. Ten (十, ‘shí’)

Make a fist. (Though this can also be interpreted as “zero”).

An alternative way is to take both index fingers of each hand and then cross them like the character for ten “十”.

So there you have it! Keep these in mind as they might come in handy next time you go to the supermarket.

Interracial Marriages Between Africans&Chinese! Up to 1 Million!

Growing economic ties between Africa and China has reportedly brought about a significant increase in interracial unions between Chinese and Africans.

While mixed-race marriages may be a relatively new concept in China, they have reportedly been on the rise in recent years as the country’s trade and investment continue to flood into Africa.

Interracial Marriages Between Africans&Chinese! Up to 1 Million!

image via YouTube

With over one million Chinese migrants now living in Africa and about half a million Africans living in China, the situation is not at all that surprising.

“Forty years ago, it was all but impossible for a foreign man or woman to live in China, let alone marry a Chinese,” Al Jazeera’s Adrian Brown observed. “But today, marriages like this are no longer exceptional … marrying a foreigner is no longer regarded as marrying down in the way it perhaps once was here.”

Such is the case of Sandra Made, a native of Cameroon who married Zou Qianshun in 2017.

After working in Africa for many months, Qianshun returned to his village in northeast China where he and his wife now earn money by streaming video of their day-to-day lives online.

image via YouTube

Their “unconventional” marriage has proven to be a hit on social media as they rake in a respectable $1,000 in advertising revenue each month.

image via YouTube

“Nowadays there are more and more international marriages in China, even some of [my] friends also married foreigners,” Qianshun was quoted as saying. “Chinese have become more accepting of intermarriage.”

This illustrates a huge difference in the situation from a few decades ago when interracial marriages were unheard of in mainland China. According to government figures, there was no interracial union in the 1970’s in the Chinese mainland.

The increase in mixed marriages reportedly began in this current decade “with 53,000 such couples tying the knot in 2012” according to a BBC report in 2013.

Qianshun admitted however that despite a change in the attitude on interracial marriages in China, there are still those who are not happy about him marrying an African woman, including his own parents.

“How can Chinese marry a Black woman? She can leave at any time,” Zhao Fu Qing, Qianshun’s mother said in an interview. “That’s why at the beginning, both my husband and I said NO to this marriage.”

image via YouTube

Still, Qianshun’s story can be regarded as a success compared to the stories of some African women who have claimed to be abandoned by Chinese men.

There have been reported cases of Chinese miners returning to China after impregnating Ghanaian women, leaving them alone to care for their mixed children.