Is Your Company "Chinese Nationalism-Proof?"

Interesting question, courtesy of a link from the China Solved Blog, which points out that with nationalist noises coming out of the Chinese government, it might be a very red Christmas in China this year.

"The Chinese economy is already starting to look a little more protectionist and inward-looking. If you need proof, take a look at Sunday's FT article that quotes a directive from China's Civil Aviation Administration,

It also exhorted domestic airlines to unite and develop together "to form a fist' in the face of international competition" while avoiding competition with each other domestically.'"

In such an environment, Western consultants are advising clients to mind p's, q's and just about every other letter in every relevant alphabet.

For instance, the piece illuminates the crucial distinction between being in a "legal" business and a "not illegal" business, and even introduces a new acronym: FCR.

"Did you accidentally cause a trainee in the shipping department to lose face' sometime in the spring of 2004? Congratulations you have festering resentment lurking within your organization. Like dry rot or radon, Festering Chinese Resentment (FCR) is a little-understood and largely invisible force that results in expensive, long-term structural damage that is very hard to fix permanently."

Humorous, informative, and definitely worth a read. (h/t China Law Blog)