Most mergers and acquisitions don't succeed because of cultural misunderstandings. A classic is in the US you use your thumb and forefinger next to it to communicate OK. In Brazil it is offensive. In Japan it means you want change.

There have been some recent stories about Chinese companies buying Japanese companies. The Economist article mentions some of the challenges.

Chinese Companies Go Shopping in Japan‎ - WSJ
Scaring the Salaryman - The Economist

It's important when your Learning Chinese to also understand a bit of the culture and history. To build up a bit of political sensitivity.

Labels: made in china