Chinese - British Cultural Confusion?

The Queen caused an international stir after she was filmed calling Chinese officials ‘very rude’. But was she merely echoing common perception?

16:26 17 May 2016

After the Queen was filmed calling Chinese officials “very rude”, people were asking if Chinese are really rude or was it just because of cultural differences?

 

Eddie Chan, a Chinese national who have been living in the UK for a long time, provides an explanation.

 

He said: "Their habit of spitting was the main problem,"

 

"Chinese people are also not accustomed to queuing. Their behaviour getting on a bus can certainly seem rude to foreigners."

 

"To show you're being friendly with someone, you have to get really close in a physical way. But the British don't want to share their personal space with someone else. They find it rude."

 

Jieyu Liu, a sociologist at London’s School of Oriental and African Studies, said that a little understanding can settle cultural differences. She argues that anyone’s behavior is determined by the time and place of their upbringing and that rules of etiquette are never universal.

 

"To show you're being friendly with someone, you have to get really close in a physical way. But the British don't want to share their personal space with someone else. They find it rude."