Don’t underestimate the importance of giving and receiving gifts in Hong Kong. This ritual is an essential business practice. But knowing exactly when to give a gift can be culturally nuanced. Understand gift-giving etiquette for...

Doing business in China? Home to more than 1.3 billion people, China is one of the fastest-growing countries in the world. As global companies continue to enter China’s market, the country’s large bureaucracy can be challenging to...

China is the world’s second-biggest economy, prompting concerns about China overtaking the United States or EU sooner than previously thought. But if you look at the long term picture and apply a more Asian perspective—China’s...

Chinese culture has been heavily influenced by the teachings of Confucius (Kongzi), a Chinese philosopher from ancient times. Confucianism emphasizes unity, circularity, harmony, and reciprocity. You’ll see these four concepts reflected...

The Chinese have a saying that “food is the first necessity of the people.” Reflecting this vital role, great thought and care go into its preparation. The Chinese use a blend of ingredients—with contrasting flavors, colors, and...

It’s important to remember that Singapore is a young multiracial and multicultural society. Over time, the locals have become accustomed to dealing with members of different races and cultures. As a result, adherence to behaviors and...

Singapore is a secular state, and people of all religions are free to worship. This history of religious tolerance dates back to a time when traders, immigrants, and conquerors introduced the islanders to their religions. Over the...

The country of Singapore has four official languages: English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil. Malay is the island’s national or original language. Learn more about the cultural origins of this combination of languages and become acquainted...

Traders came to the island of Singapore beginning in the thirteen century CE, and over the years commerce between Chinese, Arab, Indian, Thai, Malay, and Javanese traders resulted in a colorful mix of cultures and languages. Eventually...

Did you know that gift-giving is not a custom in Singapore in business situations? In fact, it could be construed as bribery. However, it’s perfectly acceptable to give someone, including a business colleague, a modest gift in a social...

Singaporeans tend to keep business appointments, but that doesn’t mean that they’re always punctual. Unlike other Asians, Singaporeans do not rely on contacts to open doors and set up meetings. Cold-calling by telephone is considered...

Singapore is truly a multiethnic society. Of Singapore’s population, about 78 percent are Chinese, 14 percent are Malay, and 7 percent are Indian. The remaining group includes a mix of Eurasians, Armenians, Arabs, and a smattering of...

Customs among the Singaporeans vary greatly depending on an individual’s ethnicity and religion. Explore how the Chinese celebrate the Chinese New Year, which marks the beginning of the lunar year and is by far the most important annual...

Myth indicates that Japan was founded in 660 BCE by Emperor Jimmu, but the first clear records, provided by the Chinese, are from almost one thousand years later. Since its beginnings, Japan has been heavily influenced by both the Korean...

The standard dialect of Japanese is spoken throughout the country, although there are some regional differences in accent. English is taught in many schools and is the most common language other than Japanese that is spoken in the...

A moon exploration simulation with robots was conducted in a Jingbo Lake volcanic lava cave in China. Research indicates that there are considerable lava pipe systems distributed beneath the surfaces of the Moon and Mars,” according to...

The largest wind farm in the world is being constructed in China's Gansu Province, and is one of six mega-farms going up across the country.

The U.S. and China will likely be the two most influential countries for the rest of the 21st century. This is how people in 40 countries around the world currently view the two nations across a variety of global issues, according to a...

China is building the world’s longest underwater tunnel beneath the Bohai Sea--at 76 miles long it will pass through two deadly earthquake fault zones, will be longer than the current first and second-ranked underwater tunnels combined...

China's high speed rail network is already larger than all other countries' combined--and it's only half complete.

Jing-Jin-Ji: China is in the midst of a construction spree unparalleled in human history. These are the Megaprojects that will lift China into the future. China wants to make its capital, Beijing, the center of the world’s largest...

Gandhi gains power and leads India's independence movement. Part 4 of our timeline of the greatest revolutions in history--moments that shaped modern civilization.

Hong Kong and Shenzhen are each racing to finish multi-billion dollar mega-bridges across the Pearl River Delta to take advantage of inexpensive land and labor costs on the western side.

China will rapidly expand its nuclear energy production over the next 15 years as part of an all-of-the-above energy push to meet its people's insatiable demand for electricity.