the chine place a lot of emphasis on politeness and contocol, but they tend to be rather more direct than, for example, the Japaneses. Indeed, they can be pretty hard bargainers! The chinese are very aware of the attractiveness of their market and can initially be cautious about doing business with westerners. when it comes to contacts, they will expect a certain amount of flexibility - give and take being all part of a complex system of business relationship known as guanxi. although there is a 'glass ceiling' , as almost everywhere else, women increasingly rise to high-ranking positions of power within companies. younger executives, however, may find themselves at a disadvantage when working with the more conservative state-run industries. the confucian sense of hierarchy accords greatest respect to more senoir business people, a;though these will other take a back seat in negotiations. language is often a barrier.