Trade and economic cooperation is essential to bilateral relationship. And when Chinese companies invest in the US, lots of factors come into play, culture included. And how companies manage these differences in culture can sometimes determine the success or failure of a venture.
"It's more challenging. I didn't realize what I have signed up for," said Yolanda Conyers, Lenovo chief diversity officer.
Yolanda Conyers holds a unique position inside Chinese tech giant Lenovo's offices in Austin, Texas: Chief Diversity Officer. Her eight-year journey with the company started on a very downbeat note.
"Three months after I joined Lenovo, I received feedback that my Chinese colleagues didn't like me and I was devastated," he said.
Her Chinese co-workers felt she looks down on them. That she was aggressive and disrespectful. That feedback was a serious setback for Yolanda, who thought she had always been polite. It turned out her efforts were lost in translation. Misunderstanding arose when Yolanda sent out an email to request a meeting.
"I didn't realize the word 'request' which in my culture is very formal and polite. When translated in Mandarin, it was demand or command. From her perspective, she was like 'who does she think she is, sending me emails like this.' I just didn't realize that," he said.
Such cultural clashes happen when East meets West and the staffing at global companies becomes diverse. That is where Yolanda comes in. She works on bringing together talents from a variety of backgrounds, and she says that's helped Lenovo gain an upper hand in the global market. The company is now the world's largest personal computer maker.
"So we blend the both, Eastern and Western practices in the company and we also have to compromise. So to be part of the Lenovo culture, it's about having humility, it's about listening. It's about compromising. It's about being open," said Conyers.
Haier, a household appliance maker, has taken a different approach to avoid potential cultural conflicts. It employs only U.S. workers at its plant in South Carolina, earning the company much local praise as a jobs creator.
"My name is Dreama Hellard. I run the injection melting department here at Haier. That's just been a huge success to me. And most of it is due to Haier because they have helped me, they've trained me, and I've been able to succeed. And it feels really good, feels very good," said Dreama Hellard, Haier worker.
Haier's localization efforts have paid off. Its sales in the US recorded a two-percent rise in 2014. The company is aiming for completing the expansion of its operation in South Carolina in five years, creating more than 400 new jobs.
"More Chinese investments in the United States is good for the United States. Why? Because the data shows that Chinese firms pay higher than average wages and benefits," said Theodore H. Moran, professor of Int'l Business, Georgetown University.
A recent report shows that the number of jobs created by Chinese investments increased more than five times over the past five years. New York research firm Rhodium Group says Chinese companies operating in the United States employed more than 80,000 full-time workers by the end of 2014. And, It predicts that number could increase five-fold again - over the next five years.