If you've ever worked in Mainland China in virtually any field, you've undoubtedly heard workers or managers use the phrase "chabuduo" accompanied by a shoulder shrug. It translates to "close enough".
When you've purchased some cheap product that is Made in China and falls apart after a few months, or when you hear a building in China has collapsed due to cutting corners or cheaping out on materials, or when an accident occurs because safety measures at a factory were non-existent, or when rocket pieces come crashing out of the sky... you can be sure somebody involved mentioned this risk and there was a decision maker who shrugged it off with a "chabuduo".
To be clear it's an attitude very prevalent in Mainland China and not culturally specific to Chinese - I haven't encountered this in Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, or even Hong Kong - and I think it's an attitude that is really holding China back from its full potential.
When you've purchased some cheap product that is Made in China and falls apart after a few months, or when you hear a building in China has collapsed due to cutting corners or cheaping out on materials, or when an accident occurs because safety measures at a factory were non-existent, or when rocket pieces come crashing out of the sky... you can be sure somebody involved mentioned this risk and there was a decision maker who shrugged it off with a "chabuduo".
To be clear it's an attitude very prevalent in Mainland China and not culturally specific to Chinese - I haven't encountered this in Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, or even Hong Kong - and I think it's an attitude that is really holding China back from its full potential.