The Chinese and the infamous "international"

Back when I was working in Nanjing, my boss (the Chinese one) used to love the word “international.” By hiring me and other foreign staff as non-teachers he wanted to make the organization more "international." When I first started, my job was to put together a template for a student newspaper that looked “international.” He even wanted our office to look “international.” It kind of became a running joke.

This is not an uncommon concept in China, however. Chinese companies always want to appear more “prominent,” “foreign” or “international,” and sometimes they go to great lengths to give off such appearances. A few friends have told me some stories where they were literally hired for an evening or the day just to pal around with the boss man of the company to make it seem like the company was in fact “international.” They’d usually go to some big dinner with a client or customer of the company and kow tow to the boss man, give him a little toast from time to time and make it generally look like the boss man was buddy-buddy with the foreigner. Then, after the charade was done, it was back to normal life.

Granted, I’ve never had to do anything like that, but I came pretty close the other day when I was asked to go to a press conference. The morning my boss asked me to go, her exact words were, “They just want to make it seem more ‘international.’” And here I thought my days of adding an “international flavor” were over. I am, after all, working for one of the country’s largest newspapers.

I get to the press conference with my coworker. We’re trying to get where we’re supposed to be for this conference when this crazed looking Chinese woman comes at me saying something about “the foreigner, the foreigner.” She rushes us to the room where the conference is being held and proceeds to tell my coworker (in Chinese) that I’m supposed to ask a question. I realize, I’m getting more than I bargained for. I’m the foreigner in the monkey suit making the boss man look good.

The conference wasn’t for anything that exciting. And since it was all in Chinese, I didn't really understand what was going on. Nonetheless, I read the question and everyone was happy. I even got a nice “hongbao” (a envelope of money). It goes against all the ethics I was taught back in university – sorry UF J-school – and my personal ethics, but what can I do? I’m not gonna refuse almost $100 for asking a question and going to the conference.

It’s funny how things work here. Staged questions at press conferences, using “laowai” to make themselves seem more “international” and even offering gifts to journalists (a common practice that they don't mind being completely unethical). I’m pretty sure they know that this wouldn’t fly in any Western country, and they really only do this stuff in front of their fellow Chinese. It’s all about “face.” And luckily for me, I have a face that makes them look good and earns a little extra cash.