China Business Secrets
Revealed Through Ancient Chinese Proverbs
By David King

China is a land of extraordinary opportunity - and invisible rules.

Deals are won and lost not just in boardrooms, but in banquets, tea houses, and the quiet moments between meetings. What's said matters. But what's unsaid often matters more.

In China Business Secrets, David King draws on more than twenty years living and working in China to reveal how ancient Chinese proverbs still shape modern business behaviour - and how Western executives, entrepreneurs, and investors can use them to avoid costly misunderstandings.

Each chapter takes multiple well-known Chinese proverbs and unpacks what they really mean in practice: how decisions are made, how trust is built, how hierarchy operates, and why logic alone is often not enough. These are not abstract cultural theories. They are hard-won lessons drawn from real negotiations, leadership challenges, and cross-border deals.

This is not a book about learning Mandarin or memorising etiquette. It is a practical field guide to understanding the cultural logic that underpins Chinese business life - the instincts, priorities, and unspoken signals that determine success or failure.

You will learn:

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Why silence in meetings can signal respect, not disengagement

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How "face" shapes negotiations, feedback, and decision-making

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Why relationships often matter more than contracts

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How influence really works behind formal titles and organisational charts

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When patience builds leverage - and when speed quietly destroys it

In an era where artificial intelligence can translate language instantly, cultural misunderstanding remains one of the biggest risks in doing business in China. AI can translate your words - but only you can translate the culture.

Written with clarity, candour, and humour, China Business Secrets is essential reading for business leaders, managers, investors, students, and anyone who wants to work effectively with Chinese partners - not just today, but for the long game.

Praise for China Business Secrets:

"David King's slim volume is a must-have for any foreign businessperson interested in engaging seriously with the China market. In his lapidary, almost epigrammatic, style, David sets out the principles, drawn from Chinese philosophy - mainly Confucian - that should be the lodestars of successful commercial engagement in and with China. And it is beautifully written, in an easily digestible and thus easily memorable style. I commend this book."

Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, Chair, China-Britain Business Council, 2019-2025.

"David King weaves ancient Chinese proverbs into real business situations, bringing the cultural logic to life in a way no textbook ever could. These aren't just observations - they're lessons hard-won over decades, and that authenticity shines through. This book will save countless readers from those bewildered, 'Why did that happen?' moments."

Rosa Yang, Vice Chair, Deloitte Asia Pacific and China.

"David's deep knowledge of China makes him my first recommendation whenever someone needs expert insight into the Chinese market. In China Business Secrets, he distils decades of personal and professional experience into sharp, practical lessons - all delivered with his trademark humour and sense of fun."

Steve Harding, former Global Business Leader, WPP

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• Business & InvestingInternational
• Business & InvestingReference
• Business & InvestingManagement & Leadership

• Publication Date: December 19, 2025
• Text-to-Speech: Disabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 116 Pages
• File Size: 118 KB