[ClearCase_guy]

I have a fair level of experience with Chinese IT workers here in the US.

My impression is that if you tell them what to do, they will follow instructions and do what you told them. BUT if you expect them to figure out what needs to be done, they are lost. No vision, no initiative. They sit and wait for someone to explain it to them. They are not really creative problem solvers.

But others may have seen a different side.

[cynwoody]

BUT if you expect them to figure out what needs to be done, they are lost. No vision, no initiative. They sit and wait for someone to explain it to them. They are not really creative problem solvers.

Give 'em time, and they might invent git. Who knows?

[ronnietherocket3]

My impression is that if you tell them what to do, they will follow instructions and do what you told them. BUT if you expect them to figure out what needs to be done, they are lost. No vision, no initiative. They sit and wait for someone to explain it to them. They are not really creative problem solvers.

My experience with a particular ethnic group in college is that they had it down to a science how to cheat on tests. I then had a coworker who was part of said ethnic group but was generally an upstanding person.

[Oatka]

My impression is that if you tell them what to do, they will follow instructions and do what you told them. BUT if you expect them to figure out what needs to be done, they are lost. No vision, no initiative. They sit and wait for someone to explain it to them. They are not really creative problem solvers.

I've seen that with Asian Indian programmers.

[Buckeye McFrog]

I have heard the same thing. Though in general I have found much to like and admire in the Chinese people I’ve known.

They were all hard-working.
They were all very family oriented.
They all valued education.

The ability to follow directions faithfully and produce faithful copies is apparently a longstanding cultural value there.