Controlling the narrative in business negotiation

Before starting meeting proper two sides engaged in business negotiation usually make opening remarks hinting what are the matters proposed to be discussed and the likely approach to be adopted. In a recent meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, US & Chinese officials did something extraordinary. In public, both parties went ballistic in sheer confrontation.  

The opening remark by the Secretary of State Antony Blinken was a sharp rebuke of China. “US would discuss our deep concerns with actions by China, including in Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Taiwan, cyber-attacks on the United States, economic coercion of our allies. Each of these actions threaten the rules-based order that maintains global stability”.

Yang Jiechi, director of foreign affairs of China returned the compliments with equal acerbity in calm and collected manner. He delivered the following punchlines:

1.  You speak to China in a condescending way from a position of strength

2. Is this the way you conduct high level diplomatic talk? We thought the US side would follow the necessary diplomatic protocol

3.  We make our position clear. US does not have the qualifications to say that it wants to speak from a position of strength

Thereafter, what dovetailed was the narrative of rebuke of US over her own acts of human rights violations within her shores and atrocities perpetrated in many theatres in Asia, Middle-east and Africa.

What ultimately happened in addition to the heartburn created on both sides was the realizing of actual position by America that it does not always have the prerogative of controlling narrative in business negotiation. The tone and the text of the Chinese side made chink in the armour of US invincibility in the public eye in both America and China.

Although Yang Jiechi diatribe appears as reactive to the situation it hides the fact that Chinese side was expecting this kind of treatment and was well prepared to counter in such narrative that US would be cast in bad light.

What escaped the attention of many observers is, the private talk that followed the tense moment between the two countries was more cordial and that both sides achieved "substantive, serious and direct" discussion that went over the time allotted. Finally both sides have achieved what they wanted in controlling the narrative except that it came with a bolt from the blue for America. 

 

Cheers! 

 

Muthu Ashraff Rajulu

Business Strategist

Mobile: + 94 777 265677

E-mail:   cosmicgems@gmail.com

Blog:   Business Strategist