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Chinese literacy is not just about speaking Mandarin - it's just as important to have a thorough understanding of the differences, perspectives and practices of the Chinese culture.
Text Version
Chinese literacy is a topic that comes up on a regular basis and there’s often an assumption that Chinese literacy is all about speaking Chinese.
Speaking Chinese is extremely important. It is a necessary condition for doing well in China, but that alone isn't sufficient.
Other things are required to really understand Chinese - the cultural differences, the Chinese way of doing business, the importance of friendships and networks, understanding that the approach to legal documents and contracts are very different from the approach that we would take in the West.
The notion of black letter law is not very well developed in Chinese culture and society in business. Documents are signed and its important to have things written down on paper and for things to be chopped but its equally important to bolster and support those documents with good networks and good relationships - and that requires another layer of understanding about the culture.
Other than learning Chinese language, which can be a big challenge for people, none of it is too difficult. It just requires approaching China with an open mind, reading about China, building relationships and friendships with the Chinese and being prepared to swim with their particular stream and go with the way Chinese people do business.
If you embrace these principles, then I think you are becoming China-literate.
