Organizational Psychology

International relations between China and Russia has long lasting history. At the same time interpersonal contacts between these two national groups face difficulties associated with language, cultural distance, prejudices, and other factors. This article presents the results of an empirical qualitative study on the problem of perceiving Russian difficulties in intercultural communication with the Chinese in the business community. Method. Interviews were conducted with 20 respondents (M =36 years old, SD = 6.5), ethnic Russian entrepreneurs working with Chinese companies and employees of Chinese companies that are represented in Russia. Findings. Thematic analysis results allowed us to identify four main categories of difficulties: building relationships process (distance, uncertainty and lack of trust); emotional difficulties (irritation, stress, anxiety); verbal difficulties (lack of knowledge of the Chinese language, use of Chinese variants of English, communication skills); time perception and knowledge sharing). In addition, in Russian perspective there are some paradoxes in the way Chinese сommunicate. These paradoxes, presumably, affect the level of uncertainty and anxiety, and, as a result, lead to mistrust. The article discusses the results and suggests ways to overcome these psychological difficulties.