This Is Why China Seems So Different

The U.S. frames China as an authoritarian government. Its citizens compelled through intimidation to obey government officials. An oppressed, freeless people, surviving day to day. It is not true.

Presenting China this way is a function of both propaganda and a gross misreading of cultural perspectives.

Here are five cultural dimensions that help explain why Americans get China wrong.

The group decides, not the individual. Cultural theorist Fons Trompenaars called this communitarianism. Cultures where individuals and the government make decisions based on how their actions affect others, not just themselves. In China, decisions are weighed by how they affect the group: family, company, party, country.

The U.S. sits on the other end. There, individualism rules. Personal choice and personal benefit come first. So when an American sees a Chinese citizen obey a government rule, the American reads it as forced obedience. It is not. The cultural perspective is to join in, just as the American cultural perspective is to do it alone.

Concern for others, not personal achievement. Cultural theorist Shalom H. Schwartz called this benevolence. It’s more than wanting to be part of the group; it’s attending to the well-being of those around you. In China, an official is treated as a steward of the group. Supporting that official is part of supporting the members of the group.

The U.S. sits on Schwartz’s achievement pole. There, personal success is the most important value. Visible individual wins, awards, and titles come first. So when an American sees a Chinese citizen praise an official, the American reads it as fear or coercion. It is not. The cultural perspective is to honor the leaders who care for the group, just as the American cultural perspective is to celebrate the individual who achieves great things alone.

Stability and harmony over liberty. Schwartz also identified a security cultural dimension. Cultures where individuals and the government treat social order, stability, and harmony as core values. In China, people want stability and harmony, and they expect the government to provide it.

The U.S. sits on the other end. There, liberty rules, and they expect the government to provide personal freedom and personal choice. So when an American sees Chinese citizens back the government on a hard policy, the American reads compliance under threat. It is not. The cultural perspective is to value stability and harmony, just as the American cultural perspective is to value liberty.

Decades, not quarters. Cultural theorist Geert Hofstede called this long-term orientation. Cultures where individuals and institutions plan in decades, accepting small sacrifices now for larger gains later. In China, the population understands and accepts an inconvenience today for gains tomorrow.

The U.S. sits on the other end. There, the short term is the focus: the news cycle, next quarter, the next election. So when an American sees Chinese citizens accept a sacrifice, like a lockdown, a tax, or a relocation, the American reads helpless suffering under an oppressive government. It is not. The cultural perspective is to see the long-term picture, just as the American cultural perspective is to focus on the here and now.

Quality of life, not personal accumulation. Hofstede also identified the quality of life dimension. Success is defined as time with family and friends, pursuing hobbies and interests, and having experiences.

The U.S. sits on the other end, where success is defined as Income, assets, and career. So when an American sees a Chinese household with less personal wealth than an American household, the American reads poverty and oppression. It is not. The cultural perspective is success measured by quality of life, just as the American cultural perspective is success measured by money and assets.

Each dimension on its own creates misunderstanding. Together, they create a fundamentally different understanding of how life is lived. Neither system is better or worse, superior or inferior. They are just different. It is up to both sides to understand that.

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