China and the Western Translation Struggle

The market potential of China has skilfully seduced foreign investors for years but it is becoming increasingly difficult to enjoy a profitable portion of the economic action. This is largely down to China’s unwavering desire to promote home-grown champions over their foreign counterparts – often doing so to the detriment of WTO conventions and promises. This hits many British businesses hard – especially those within the highly competitive insurance sector – and subsequently creates a ‘survival of the fittest’ scenario where one needn’t really exist.

However, such a scenario does exist and it is barely beneficial to dwell on the reasons why. British companies must seduce China, just like it has seduced its incoming investors. Incorporating meticulous translation services is a sure way to appease cultural tensions. Interpreting services are widely used by Western businessmen, and they are a wonderful way to gain insight into every nuance that appears in the business environment, but there must be a desire to go further. Outward translation showings – such as document and website translations - should be commonplace in order to negate accusations of cultural ignorance. These are simple steps that every Anglophone Western businessmen can take to guarantee an easier developmental avenue in China.

Chinese companies are quickly becoming competitive in the arenas of quality and prestige – areas traditionally held in steadfast fashion by Britain and the US. The fact that China can produce services and products, that are of such high quality, at a lower cost means that integrating with business in this part of the world and surviving the process of doing so, is absolutely vital for any Western multi-national keen on surviving in the current, harsh economic climate. Search more about interpreting services.

Chinese businessmen have continuously made an effort to increase their English speaking abilities in order to compete with their Western counterparts at the negotiation table. This is a criminally undervalued approach when viewed from the Western side. Full and all-encompassing translation services are primarily used in a one way manner (Mandarin-to-English) without due regard for the cultural impact this can have over a prolonged period of time. How can we have sympathy for British and American businesses when they do not take the appropriate translation measures? Quite simply, we cannot be expected to have an ounce of sympathy. Failure is firmly in their hands and it is time that such companies adopt suitable measures to ensure they meet China’s demands – because, like it or not, this Far East powerhouse is very much in charge. Read more about interpreting agencies.