“Opportunities, but Nothing Very Concrete:” The Challenge Finns Face with Chinese Delegations’ General Level of Interest in Finland

Abstract

This paper explores the challenge of general lack of specific interest displayed by the Chinese in the context of co-operation, trade and inward investment facilitation in Finland. The paper is mainly based on data obtained from interviewing individuals working for local governments in Finland and one of the state agencies responsible for attracting foreign investment. The study uses Speech Codes Theory (Philipsen in Developing communication theories. State University of New York Press, Albany, pp. 119–156, 1997) when analyzing the cultural aspects of expectations regarding communication between Chinese and Finns. Finnish expectations regarding this type of communication are that it should be direct and task-oriented, because they feel pressure to yield real results quickly and efficiently. According to interviewees, lack of serious interest, vague government guidelines, the longer time needed to build relationship, and involvement of intermediaries all contribute to the difficulty to move the discussions to a more specific level of focus. The paper addresses challenges and opportunities associated with possible Chinese acquisitions in developed countries, adopting a case study approach regarding Finland.