Learn How China Really Works, Live, Every Thursday

Join author Gene J. Hsu for 15 free, interactive Zoom sessions on guanxi, face, negotiation and leading Chinese teams. Each one includes role-play practice, a Mandarin phrase you can use right away, and open Q&A. Starts Thursday, October 15 at 3:00 pm PT.

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What to Expect

• When: Thursdays at 3:00 pm Pacific (6:00 pm Eastern), October 15, 2026 through February 11, 2027
• Where: Live on Zoom, free
• Format: 45 minutes: a short teaching segment, role-play practice and open Q&A
• Mandarin Minute: every session features one Chinese phrase, with its cultural meaning and how to use it
• Bring your real questions: China business, culture, psychology, negotiation, leading Chinese teams or speaking Mandarin
• No sessions Thanksgiving week or over the December holidays

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Mandarin Savvy Live: Season 1 Schedule

All sessions are Thursdays at 3:00 pm PT on Zoom.

Date	Session & Featured Phrase	Overview
1 Oct 15	Kickoff: HOW THEY OPERATE — The Guanxi Engine + Ask Me Anything 关系 guānxì, “gauge of mutual expectations and benefits within a relationship” Reimagine how China works, then ask me anything.	We open the series with the Guanxi Engine, a metaphor for how China works: how relationships are lubricated (maintained) and the fuel (goodwill) that keeps your China operations running. Then it’s your turn to ask me anything.
2 Oct 22	Your Strategic China Advantage: Understanding WHAT THEY CONSIDER 利益 lìyì, “mutual interests attainable through different levels of Guanxi” What does your Chinese counterpart actually care about during negotiations?	Chinese negotiators are influenced most by the perceived personal benefit of deepening Guanxi. Learn to quickly discover what really matters to your counterpart, which is rarely what appears on the surface, and why it pays to “align on process.”
3 Oct 29	Face (Miànzǐ): Why “Yes” Doesn’t Always Mean Yes 给面子 gěimiànzǐ, “giving face” Decode China’s FACE culture in the context of Guanxi.	Chinese counterparts often say yes to protect the relationship, not to confirm a commitment. Learn how Face is given, saved, preserved and lost, and why it matters, then role-play giving Face in real situations.
4 Nov 5	The Face-Saving Off-Ramp: How to Extend GOODWILL When They Make a Mistake 台阶下 táijiēxià, “an off-ramp following a blunder” Win in China by helping others PRESERVE FACE, and learn why it works.	In China, cornering someone with facts can quietly destroy a relationship, even when you’re right and especially when you’re in charge. Learn how to extend an off-ramp that lets someone pivot and preserve their Face.
5 Nov 12	Leading Chinese Employees: Interpreting Face-Giving Culture Through Their Feelings 委屈 wěiqu, “an emotional injury from feeling wronged and helpless” Chinese workers rarely tell you how they really feel. Learn to read their lip service before it’s too late.	Chinese employees rarely complain openly; they carry grievances quietly until they disengage, resign or worse. Learn to recognize their feelings early and build the trust that makes cooperation more transparent.
6 Nov 19	Working with Chinese SOEs: Lessons from Inside Sinopec 铁饭碗 tiě fànwǎn, “iron rice bowl” Inside China’s largest state-owned enterprise, from someone who led teams on-site for 40 weeks.	State-owned enterprises run on security, hierarchy and risk avoidance, not speed or individual performance. I’ll share how I positively influenced behavior inside an iron-rice-bowl culture during 40 consecutive weeks at Sinopec, including the Chinese tea ceremonies that helped us beat our stretch targets.
7 Dec 3	White Lies and Indirect Communication in Chinese Culture 善意的谎言 shànyì de huǎngyán, “a Chinese white lie for Face and goodwill” “Now this is real food!” What a family dinner reveals about Chinese culture.	In China, words often create harmony rather than convey facts. Through a simple dinner-table story, we explore why white lies are acts of kindness, how to stop reading them as dishonesty, and how the lesson applies to every business relationship in China.
8 Dec 10	Mandarin Chinese Magic: One Phrase That Improves Every Conversation 没关系 méiguānxì, “it doesn’t matter / no problem” Forget translations. Learn the go-to phrase that gives Face, deepens Guanxi and creates flexibility for both sides.	A few well-timed words can create more goodwill than years of Chinese lessons. We’ll practice one phrase (three characters, plus the pivot sound 那 nà) that changes the trajectory of cross-cultural conversations in China.
9 Dec 17	Chinese Cultural Psychology for Business: Pragmatism and Superstition 迷信 míxìn, “superstition” Understand Chinese pragmatism in the cultural context of superstition.	Pragmatism and superstition seem contradictory, but both are psychological tools for deepening Guanxi and lowering risk. Learn how lucky numbers, auspicious dates and hard-nosed practicality shape real business decisions.
10 Jan 7	Managing Ignored Anxieties Inside the Chinese Workplace 焦虑 jiāolǜ, “anxiety and apprehension from perceived underachievement” Many Chinese managers use brute force to get results. There’s a better path to earning discretionary effort.	Intense competition, family expectations and economic uncertainty put constant pressure on Chinese workers. Learn how hidden anxieties shape motivation and loyalty, and how leaders can use these insights to improve productivity.
11 Jan 14	Awkward Moments in China: A Reason to Laugh or a Face-Preserving Opportunity? 尴尬 gāngà, “awkwardness and embarrassment from unexpected social tension” Everyone makes mistakes. Use their blunders to extend goodwill.	Every Chinese counterpart or employee will eventually fall short, make mistakes or misunderstand expectations. Discover how these moments can become building blocks for trust and cooperation.
12 Jan 21	The Chinese Honeymoon Period: Friendliness Isn’t Friendship (Yet) 人情 rénqíng, “the goodwill currency of reciprocity that deepens Guanxi” Warm dinners and free-flowing drinks don’t mean you’re trusted in China.	Early warmth in a China relationship can feel like friendship long before real trust exists, creating a false sense of alignment. Explore why emotions, relationships, friendship and favors are the social currency of Guanxi.
13 Jan 28	The Trust–Truth Dichotomy: Why Guanxi Doesn’t Guarantee Honesty 信任 xìnrèn, “trust” In China, truth is relative and trust depends on Guanxi.	Westerners assume honesty naturally follows as a relationship deepens, but Chinese psychology separates the two. Learn why a “trusted” partner may still tell you what they think you want to hear, and why the “truth” may be beside the point.
14 Feb 4	Paratrooper Manager in China: Leading People Who See You as the Enemy 空降部队 kōngjiàng bùduì, “paratrooper manager” Many China expats receive honeymoon treatment and quiet sabotage without noticing either.	Outside managers are seen as not knowing “how China works” and as threats to existing networks and personal benefits. I share my own experience as a paratrooper manager and the lessons I learned the hard way.
15 Feb 11	When in Rome: Why “Maybe” Beats “Yes” or “No” 入乡随俗 rùxiāngsuísú, “enter the village, follow the customs” The most powerful word in China might be “maybe.”	Black-and-white answers create conflict in a culture that operates in shades of gray. Learn why “maybe” keeps doors open and serves as a Face-saving way to say no.

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Your Host: Gene J. Hsu

Gene J. Hsu is an American-Born Chinese (ABC) author, cultural advisor and entrepreneur with more than two decades living, working and building businesses across Greater China. He has served as Country Manager in Taiwan and Asia Pacific Sales Director for a German multinational, consulted on-site at Sinopec, China’s largest state-owned enterprise, and co-founded a career training firm in Shanghai.

He is the author of The Chinese Honeymoon Period, now updated as The Chinese Honeymoon Period in 2026 & Beyond. Each Mandarin Savvy Live session connects to a lesson from the book.

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