As an expat living in Singapore, having good networking within your working and living environment is highly encouraged. Cultivating good relationships has always been a staple part of Chinese professionals as it is a part of their tradition when interacting with other parties, especially expats. Maintaining a good networking relationship can give you practical benefits such as: 

1. Building understanding – As an expat living in Singapore, encountering differences due to cultural and country nuances is something you would experience a lot. With building a good relationship with other people, you will be able to understand their perspectives and consideration. 
2. Expand career opportunities –  Having a good relationship is one of the many ways to expand career opportunities. Familiarity plays an important role in career opportunities, where people will usually recommend you to different career paths if they personally know you. 
3. Establishing trust – Trust is an essential part of a good relationship. Building trust and credibility can only be done if the other party is familiar with you. Therefore, you need to leave good impressions during your encounter to help Chinese people establish their trust in you.
4. Collaboration opportunities – Having a maintained network with Chinese people will give you much more opportunities to collaborate, whether it is short term or long term. This collaboration can usually happen once you have been able to prove your credibility to others. 

The first step to building successful relationships with Chinese professionals in Singapore is gaining a respectful understanding of their cultural customs. Networking with Chinese professionals might differ from your usual interactions, especially with Westerners. As an expat living in Singapore,  Being aware of these cultural nuances can significantly improve the quality of your interactions with Chinese parties. Here’s several key points regarding Chinese customs on networking that you should pay attention to. 

• Communication Styles
  Communication styles are usually easy to differ between one another, but are quite tricky to learn.  In China, communication styles differ widely from Western culture. While Westerners, such as those who live in America, prefer to communicate clearly with straightforwardness, Chinese people usually prefer to communicate subtly with hints that represent their suggestions.

• Social Hierarchy
  China shows great respect toward social hierarchy. People with superior positions are usually very respected and are not obligated to maintain an engaging workplace setting to fulfill their workers’ needs. In Chinese business settings, engaging relationships with superiors are seldom to be found, especially in traditional based companies that still value hierarchy.

• Collectivism
  Collectivism refers to the ability of working with one another. While Westerners usually appreciate individual work more, Chinese people typically concentrate more on teamwork and the ability to collaborate with one another.

• Drinking
  Drinking is an inseparable part of networking in Chinese. Going to a place to have a drink is considered usual in Chinese culture, especially when you’re trying to make a deal with someone. The act of drinking reflects the willingness to strengthen relationships between one another and thus play a significant role in business Chinese.

Mastering basic manners is key to networking in Chinese. Let’s look at how to open, listen, and respond. If you’re an expat living in Singapore, try learning Chinese as you will likely encounter Chinese speakers while expanding your network. Here are a few tips to try while communicating with Chinese speakers!

• Pay attention to pronunciation – During conversations, paying attention to pronunciation is utmost important since different pronunciation can lead to different meanings. 

• Maintain non verbal communication – When speaking with Chinese speakers, another important thing to remember is non verbal communication also plays a significant role in leaving an impression. Therefore, maintain eye contact and a good posture that reflect professionalism and openness toward the other party. 

• Listen patiently and engage actively – When communicating with Chinese speakers, listening patiently can reflect respectful acts and willingness to consider others’ opinions. Try engaging based on the current communication flow to show that you are truly listening and willing to discuss further. 

• Maintain clarity – Although Chinese speakers appreciate subtle hints and suggestions, another important thing to pay attention to is regarding how to maintain clarity. Try communicating clearly to avoid misunderstandings that can reflect unprofessionalism.

As previously mentioned, being able to communicate in Mandarin can be highly beneficial while trying to build connections with Chinese speakers. To further your understanding in Mandarin, learning in a group is another alternative that you can try. Having peers while learning can provide significant improvement for the following reasons: 

1. Gather people – Having a group of people that can be your Mandarin speaking business group will naturally gather people with the same language level between one another. Having peers with the same skills will encourage one another to improve and provide equally skilled people to practice with each other. 
2. Form a community – Mandarin speaking business groups are usually pretty specific in terms of working fields. If you are able to join a learning group for business Mandarin,chances are you will be able to meet with other individuals that have similar experience with you. This similarity will help you build a small community with expertise peers that can provide guidance in business settings. 
3. Constant encouragement – Having people with the same goals will also give you the opportunity to be connected with peers that can provide encouragement with one another. Try sharing your learning journey and keep in track with everyone to motivate one another to progress accordingly. 
4. Boost confidence – Mandarin speaking business groups will help you enhance your verbal communication by constantly encouraging you to converse in Mandarin. With how often you communicate with one another, your confidence in speaking Mandarin will have a significant improvement, equipping you with the courage to converse with other parties as well. 

As an expat in Singapore, finding a Mandarin speaking business group can be quite tricky. Here are a few practical alternatives for you to find the perfect group for you!

• Online forums – Online forums might be the best solution to find a Mandarin speaking business group quickly. With how many sites and applications available for you to join, online forums are the perfect answer for you to start building an online community without the obligation to commute from one place to another. 

• Community – Offline communities might be harder to find, especially if you are aiming for a specific business group. However, enrolling in one will help you connect in-person with others and grant you the opportunity to be involved in different activities that can expand your network and enhance your skills as well. 

• Courses – Chinese courses are a great choice if you want to find people with the same language skills as you. With how massive courses are right now, it would be easier for you to find a suitable level, whether your aim is to converse daily or to master Business Mandarin.