I peered into an antique shop at the Shenyang Imperial Palace and realised that a sales negotiation was in progression over tea. I can only imagine what a complicated discussion that must be. The Chinese will never tell you things directly because they value harmonious relationships. You need to therefore know how to interpret their messages else there can be misunderstandings. I worked in China for ten years with both Chinese and Germans and it was exhausting sometimes. You can’t talk to a German in an indirect way and you can’t talk to a Chinese in a direct way. You need to keep adjusting your communication styles constantly.