The Negotiation

In Part 2 of his conversation with The Negotiation, Zak Dychtwald, founder and CEO of BridgeWorks Global, shifts from diagnosing the hidden tax on global business to addressing what it means for companies operating in or competing against China. Zak regularly briefs executives from Qualcomm, Microsoft, Google, and Walmart when they come through the region, and he shares the framework he uses with them: what to borrow from China's competitive environment, what to leverage, and what to prepare to defend against.He then turns to Chinese companies going global, and why their challenges differ from those of Western multinationals operating in China. The people problem facing Chinese companies as they expand is distinct and underappreciated — and it intersects directly with the global collaboration framework Zak laid out in Part 1.Zak closes with one of his most provocative arguments: today is likely the least competitive Chinese companies will ever be globally, and Western businesses operating in the region should take that seriously as they build their own strategy. He also shares what global companies most consistently get wrong after years of running the Global Collaboration Index — and what actually fixing it looks like. Discussion Points·       The borrow, leverage, and defend framework for Western executives operating in or competing against China·       Why Chinese companies going global face a distinct people problem — and how it differs from the challenges Western companies face in China·       Why today is likely the least competitive Chinese companies will ever be globally, and what Western businesses should do with that insight·       The single thing global companies most consistently get wrong, and what actually fixing it looks like

Zak Dychtwald is the founder and CEO of BridgeWorks Global, a cross-geography collaboration lab based in Shanghai. He is the author of Young China: How the Restless Generation Will Change Their Country and the World, has lived in China for over a decade, and speaks Mandarin. His clients include Google, Qualcomm, Microsoft, Medtronic, Walmart, and Ant International. His work has appeared four times in Harvard Business Review, most recently in a piece on how highly effective global teams collaborate across cultures — now running as a feature in HBR Magazine.In Part 1, Zak makes the case that global teams don't break down on culture — they break down on operating design. He lays out a framework of seven elements that determine how well global teams work, split into friction amplifiers (time zones, language, country culture), which leaders can manage but never really change, and trust-and-alignment multipliers (HQ-region power dynamics, company culture, market knowledge, process), which they can redesign. Most leaders pour their energy into the first three and ignore the last four, where all the leverage actually sits.He introduces bridge people — the senior leaders and frontline operators whose real job is holding the seams of a global company together by translating context between headquarters and the market, absorbing the time-zone load, and moving decisions across language and hierarchy — and the global collaboration tax, what those people absorb on the company's behalf. He explains what happens when a crisis hits a team that has never designed for one, and where leaders should start when they recognise the problem in their own organisation. Discussion Points·       Why global team collaboration breaks down at the level of systems, not culture — and what the data from the Global Collaboration Index actually shows·       The seven elements of cross-border collaboration: friction amplifiers (time zones, language, country culture) vs trust-and-alignment multipliers (HQ-region power dynamics, company culture, market knowledge, process)·       Bridge people: who they are, what they carry, and why most companies fail to acknowledge or reward them·       The global collaboration tax: what it costs a business in speed, opportunity, and attrition when bridge people absorb the friction the system creates·       What happens when a crisis hits a global team that hasn't defined decision rights in advance — and where leaders should start when they recognise the problem in their own company

Jim Fields is an American entrepreneur who has spent over 15 years living and building businesses in China. He speaks fluent Mandarin, began his career at Adobe in Silicon Valley, and moved to China, where he worked at Nokia and Reckitt Benckiser before founding Relay Video in 2016 - a Beijing-based creative marketing agency that helped Chinese tech companies including Xiaomi, Tencent, and Lenovo tell their stories to global audiences. He later founded Relay Club, an influencer management platform for Chinese brands going outbound. He now serves as Chief Growth Officer at Nuon Medical and is involved with Oren Medical, a Shenzhen-based manufacturer within the Kaiyan Medical Group.In this episode, Jim talks about his journey from Silicon Valley to China, what he learned building Relay Video, and the most common mistakes Chinese tech companies make when trying to go global. He explains why he pivoted from marketing into medtech, and breaks down both companies he works with today: Nuon Medical, which embeds clinical technologies like red light therapy, microcurrent, and PEMF directly into cosmetics applicators for brands including Clarins and Vagheggi, and Oren Medical, which manufactures red light therapy and medical wellness devices with over 300 patents across six FDA-cleared facilities.Jim also discusses his TEDx talk arguing that light is a fourth macronutrient alongside oxygen, water, and food - the science behind red and near-infrared light therapy and why he believes it belongs in everyday consumer products. He covers the beauty tech market in China versus the West, how US-China trade tensions and tariffs affect a cross-border business like his, and what he's learned from 15-plus years of building across both markets. Discussion Points·       Jim's journey from Silicon Valley to 15+ years building businesses in China·       Relay Video's thesis: Chinese brands are the brands of the future but need help telling their stories globally·       The most common mistakes Chinese tech companies make when going global, from working with Xiaomi, Tencent, and Lenovo·       The pivot from marketing to medtech and how Jim's China background connects to his work in beauty tech·       Nuon Medical: embedding clinical technologies (light therapy, microcurrent, PEMF) into cosmetics packaging·       Jim's TEDx argument that light is a fourth macronutrient - the science behind red and near-infrared light therapy·       Oren Medical: China's medical device manufacturing sophistication, 300+ patents, six FDA-cleared facilities·       Beauty tech market maturity in China versus the West and where China is leading·       How US-China trade tensions and tariffs affect a cross-border business built on Chinese manufacturing·       Lessons from 15-plus years building businesses that span China and the West

Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in extra time to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. It was a tournament full of drama, upsets, and cultural moments - not least in China, where Xiaohongshu streamed all 104 matches for free and Norwegian striker Erling Haaland generated nearly 1.8 billion views on the platform. China's national team, meanwhile, watched from home. Again. Mark Dreyer has spent nearly two decades trying to explain that paradox.Mark is the founder of China Sports Insider, author of Sporting Superpower: An Insider's View on China's Quest to Be the Best, and one of the most respected English-language journalists covering sport in China. His recent piece in The Economist on the state of Chinese football went viral, laying out why a country with enormous resources, a football-obsessed president, and 1.4 billion people has qualified for the World Cup exactly once - in 2002 - and shows few signs of returning anytime soon.In this episode, Mark gives his verdict on the 2026 World Cup - the football, the format, and the final. As a dual English-Canadian citizen, he also has personal stakes in two teams: England, who reached the semi-finals before losing to Argentina and finished third with a thrilling 6-4 win over France, and Canada, who bowed out in the round of 16. He breaks down the state of Chinese football at every level - the national team, the domestic league, and the youth development pipeline - and explains why the problems run much deeper than money or political will can fix.Mark also digs into how China consumed this World Cup differently: Xiaohongshu's landmark streaming deal, the Haaland phenomenon and what it reveals about how Chinese fans engage with foreign athletes, and whether China will ever host - let alone win - a World Cup of its own. Discussion Points·       Overall verdict on the 2026 World Cup: the football, the 48-team format, North America as hosts, and Spain's win over Argentina·       England's semi-final run and third-place finish, and Canada's round of 16 exit - Mark's personal take as a dual citizen·       North America as a three-country host and whether England or China could host a future World Cup·       The state of the Chinese men's national team: why investment and political will haven't translated into results·       Youth football in China: structural problems, academic pressure, and what a genuine grassroots culture would require·       The Chinese Super League post-boom-and-bust: where the domestic league stands after the salary caps and corruption investigations·       Xiaohongshu's landmark streaming deal: all 104 matches free of charge, and what it signals about sports broadcasting in China·       The Haaland phenomenon: 1.8 billion Xiaohongshu views, 'Ha Bao,' romance game edits, and what it tells us about Chinese fan culture·       Xi Jinping's three football ambitions - host, qualify, win - and which, if any, are achievable·       The single most important thing that needs to change for Chinese football to genuinely improve

Most influencers build an audience on one platform and stay there. Crystal Yu operates across two ecosystems that couldn't be more different: Instagram in the West and Xiaohongshu in China. The content strategies, audience expectations, brand partnership dynamics, and even the definition of authenticity diverge significantly between them. Crystal has built a following on both, and in this episode, she pulls back the curtain on what that actually looks like.Crystal walks us through how she became an influencer, what she's learned about creating content for two very different platforms, and how she approaches each one differently. She also breaks down the business side of influencing — fee structures, how brand partnerships come together, and what brands consistently get wrong when approaching creators for collaborations.For brands and marketers trying to understand how influencer marketing works in China versus the West, this episode offers a rare insider perspective. Crystal explains how Chinese brands approach collaborations differently from Western brands, why authenticity means something different on Xiaohongshu than it does on Instagram, and how to build trust with audiences on both sides of the divide. Discussion Points·       How Crystal became an influencer and whether it was a deliberate choice or an organic evolution·       The key differences between Instagram and Xiaohongshu as platforms: audience expectations, content formats, and culture·       How Crystal's content strategy differs across platforms and whether she creates separate content for each·       The business side of influencing: fee structures, compensation models, and how deals are structured·       How brand partnerships come together: inbound vs outbound, agency involvement, and selection criteria·       What brands consistently get wrong when approaching influencer collaborations, and what makes one successful·       How Chinese and Western brands approach influencer partnerships differently·       Balancing sponsored content with audience trust, especially on Xiaohongshu, where authenticity is paramount·       Where influencer marketing is heading over the next few years, particularly in China·       Advice for anyone looking to build a cross-platform presence or pursue influencing as a career