Over the years, I have come to appreciate how wonderfully rich a language Chinese can be when it comes to obscuring communication. This is a conversation I have had many times in China:
"Hello, Mr. Wang? How are you? I was just calling to check about that project we were working on. How is it coming along?"
"Hi, David. I've been meaning to call you but I haven't been able to get in touch. Basically, the project seems to be going all right. I don't expect any real problems."
"What do you mean? Might there be some difficulties?"
"Well, it's hard to say. I think in principle, there's no problem. But sometimes, it's really hard to tell."
"If there is a problem of some sort, just let me know; I'll be happy to help resolve it."
"What can I say? This kind of project requires a process. Let's take it a step at a time."
"I guess so. Do you think it will work out?"
"Probably. In any event, I want to check into this in the next couple of days. Later on, I'll get back in touch with you."
"Why do you suppose this is taking such a long time, Mr. Wang?”
"It's a long story. I can't really go into it now. How about this: why don't I check it out and give you a call back?"
"Okay, when should I expect to hear from you then?"
"I think I'll need a little time to investigate this. Let's talk again after a while. How does that sound?"
"What do you think are the chances this project will fall through?"
"I'm just not sure."
"Well, Mr. Wang thanks so much for your time. I appreciate your letting me know where we stand on the project. I look forward to talking to you again."
After exchanges like this one, it would occur to me that I'd talked with my counterpart for ten or fifteen minutes and yet I knew no more than I did before the call.
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