Taiwan business culture for British executives: manners, decisions and what gets lost in translation

How decisions really get made

A British executive accustomed to arguing a point in a meeting and getting a decision on the spot will find Taiwanese business rhythm different. Decisions are often prepared in advance through informal conversations and consultations before the formal meeting. The meeting itself is not where the argument is won. It is where the prepared position is presented, where relationships are built, and where the counterparty takes the decision back to others not present for further consideration.

This means the person you are pitching to may be a gatekeeper rather than a decider. They are gathering information and assessing your counterparty before forwarding the proposal. If you expect an answer in the room, you will be disappointed. If you treat the meeting as a stage in a longer process, you will understand what is actually happening.

The most senior person in a Taiwanese meeting room often speaks last, and may barely speak at all. This is not disengagement. It is a mark of seniority. The senior person listens to subordinates debate and present, and may offer a brief steer or observation rather than a detailed argument. This convention is so embedded that a senior person who dominates the discussion reads as insecure or unprepared. If you are speaking to the decision-maker, they may be saying very little, and that silence means you should listen harder for the few things they do say.

Reading agreement and recognising a yes that is not yet a yes

An agreeable meeting where the room nods and affirms your proposal is not the same as a commercial agreement. A Taiwanese counterparty is often affirming that they have heard you, that they understand your position, and that it is worth considering. They are not necessarily committing. They may be taking the proposal to others, testing it against internal criteria, or exploring your flexibility on terms before bringing back a real answer.

The risk for a British executive is mistaking politeness for agreement. Taiwanese business culture values harmony and face. Openly disagreeing in a meeting is uncommon, especially if it would embarrass a guest or create visible conflict. A counterparty may seem to accept a proposal in the room and then revise it substantially when they come back. This is not duplicity. It is a different communication protocol.

The only agreement that counts is one that comes in writing and is signed by someone with authority. Everything else is exploratory. If you need certainty, ask for a written proposal and response, and be clear about who has authority to commit. Follow every verbal agreement with an email summary of what was discussed and what you understood the next steps to be.

Relationship-building and the social meal as work

In Taiwan, trust between business counterparties is usually built before the deal, not after. A British firm that wants to do business in Taiwan should expect to spend time with potential partners before they sign anything. This includes meals, social occasions and informal visits. These are not entertainment. They are work, and they serve a real business function.

A Taiwanese counterparty is assessing whether you are someone they want to work with. They are evaluating your judgment, your stability, your integrity and your willingness to invest time in the relationship. A meal is the setting where they can do this outside a formal meeting room. It is also where informal negotiation and clarification happen, in a setting where disagreement feels less like confrontation.

Expect meals to last longer than you might in Britain and to include discussion of topics beyond the immediate deal. A counterparty will ask about your family, your experience in Taiwan, and your long-term plans. These are not small talk. They are gathering information about who you are and whether a working relationship is viable. Engage seriously, ask questions back, and do not rush the meal to get back to business.

Hierarchy, seating and the visible order of things

Taiwanese business culture makes hierarchy visible. The order in which people are introduced, who sits where, who speaks and in what sequence all signal rank and respect. If you are leading a meeting, your counterparty will expect you to know and respect these cues. If you ignore them, you read as either ignorant or disrespectful.

The most senior person on each side typically sits in the middle of the table, and the seating radiates outwards by seniority. The person to the senior's right is often the second-ranked person, and so on. If you are unfamiliar with a counterparty's team, it is reasonable to ask how they would like to sit, or to defer the seating to them. In your own meetings, make clear who the most senior person on your side is, and seat them accordingly. If you are a junior person speaking for a senior who is not present, make that clear.

Introductions follow a similar logic. People are introduced from most senior to least senior. A counterparty's title and company are important, and should be stated and acknowledged. If you are introducing your own team, do so in descending order of seniority and give titles. This is not formality for its own sake. It is a way of signalling respect and making the hierarchy transparent so the meeting can proceed without ambiguity about who holds authority.

Business cards, and what you do with them

Business cards are exchanged formally in Taiwanese business. When you receive a card, take it with both hands and examine it. Read the name, the title and the company. Do not pocket it immediately or put it face-down. If you are sitting at a table, place it on the table in front of you during the meeting, where you can refer to it. Do not write on it, fold it, or leave it behind. A card represents the person who gave it to you, and treating it carelessly signals disrespect.

When you give your card, present it with your right hand, or both hands if you can do so naturally. Make sure the text faces the recipient and is right-side up. Have enough cards. Running out is awkward and suggests you did not prepare properly.

Taiwanese names follow the pattern of surname first, given name second. The individual may be known professionally by their given name, especially if they work internationally. Many Taiwanese professionals adopt an English given name (Thomas, Sarah, David) and use that as their working identity. This is perfectly normal, and using the English name is appropriate. When in doubt, follow what they use in email or on their business card. If they introduce themselves as Thomas, call them Thomas, not by their Chinese name.

Gifts and hospitality in the context of UK anti-bribery law

Taiwan expects professional gift-giving and hospitality in business. It is entirely appropriate to give a small gift when you visit, to offer hospitality, and to pay for a meal. Gifts are often exchanged at the end of a first meeting. A good gift is something that represents your company or your country, is useful, and is not extravagant. A small item with your company logo, a book, or a premium food item is standard. Do not give cash or anything that looks like cash.

Hospitality matters in building relationships. Paying for meals and offering to host a counterparty when they visit is expected and appropriate. Taiwan's business culture is high-trust and intolerant of conflicts of interest, so there is less risk of a small gift or a meal being misread as improper than in some other markets. That said, any British company operating abroad is subject to UK anti-bribery law, which applies to your conduct anywhere in the world, not just in the UK. What counts as improper influence under UK law is a narrower and more conservative standard than local Taiwanese practice. If you have any doubt about whether a gift or hospitality is appropriate, consult your company's compliance team before proceeding. A gift intended to influence a decision is a problem. A gift intended to build goodwill after a decision is made is routine.

The line between gift and influence is a judgment call, and it is your judgment call to make. Err on the side of caution. A Taiwanese counterparty will understand that you are operating under UK law and will not be offended if you decline to give something lavish or to take an expensive gift.

Punctuality and British communication habits that misfire in Taiwan

Punctuality is expected in Taiwanese business. Arrive on time or a few minutes early. Do not be late. If you are running behind, inform your counterparty as soon as you know. Leaving someone waiting without explanation is disrespectful and will damage the relationship.

Meetings often start and end on time, which means you should plan to finish what you came to discuss in the scheduled slot. If the meeting overruns and the other party has to leave, do not treat that as a rebuff. It means they have the next meeting scheduled and you have been given the time allocated to you.

British professional communication relies heavily on understatement, irony and self-deprecation. These habits can create misunderstanding in Taiwan. Understatement reads as indifference or lack of confidence. If you tell a counterparty that your product is not bad, they hear that it is mediocre. Irony, which relies on the listener understanding that you mean the opposite of what you have said, often falls flat. A Taiwanese counterparty may take you literally and come away confused. Self-deprecation sounds like weakness rather than humility. The phrase 'we should think about that' or 'that is an interesting idea' is a British way of saying no without saying no directly. In Taiwan it will be heard as genuine interest and may be taken as a softer yes. If you want to say no, say it. Do not use soft British politeness as a substitute. If you are not interested, say so clearly. If you need time to consider something, say how long you need and when you will come back.

Speak English clearly and avoid idiom or slang. Speak a little more slowly than you normally would, not so slowly that it sounds condescending, but with clear enunciation. If someone looks uncertain, pause and check whether they understood. Avoid humour, especially self-deprecating humour, which often misfires in professional settings. Straightforwardness is better received than wit.

Writing a follow-up that gets answered

After a meeting, send a follow-up email within 24 hours. This email should summarise what was discussed, what you understood to be the next steps, and any commitments made by either side. Be specific. Do not leave things vague. If you said you would send information, give a date when it will arrive. If they said they would review something, ask for a date when you can follow up.

Keep the email clear and structured. Use bullet points if it helps. Long rambling emails are less likely to be read than short clear ones, and a counterparty may not have time to parse a complex argument. State the facts, the next steps, and what you need from them. Then stop. Do not overcomplicate.

If you do not get a response within the timeframe they gave you, send a polite follow-up. Do not be aggressive or impatient. It is possible they are busy, or your email got lost, or they are waiting for feedback from someone else before they can reply. A simple 'I wanted to check on the status of the proposal we discussed' is appropriate. If you still do not hear back, pick up the phone or ask a local contact to check in. Sometimes a phone call is more efficient than email, and it also gives you a chance to hear tone and clarify misunderstanding.

Do not assume silence is a no. It may be. But it may also be that your counterparty is working on the decision internally and has not yet come back to you. Persistence is expected and appropriate, so long as it is respectful and not hectoring. The British habit of sending one email and then withdrawing will be misread as lack of interest.