给华裔女富豪刘伟宏的忠告：中国的关系文化在加拿大行不通：（观点，中英对照）
雄心勃勃，扬言要接手哈德逊湾公司（Hudson’s Bay）经营28个门店租约的亿万富姐刘伟宏却近期出人意料地受阻，不仅与对其迟疑满腹的房东谈判陷入僵局，目前又在负责此案的法官面前碰了一笔自灰。
In her ambitious effort to take over up to 28 store leases formerly operated by Hudson’s Bay, billionaire Ruby Liu has hit an unexpected wall—not just from skeptical landlords or faltering negotiations, but from the very judge overseeing the case.
联名向负责该案的安大略省高等法院法官Peter Osborne私下写信，在信中不仅称赞法官“优雅端庄”，还指控对方律师“腐败”。法院认为刘的行为有失体统，并因此向其发出正式警告，并表示若此类行为继续，将被视为“骚扰性通信”。
Liu, founder of real estate firm Central Walk, recently came under formal rebuke from Ontario’s Superior Court after she and her CEO sent an unsolicited letter to Justice Peter Osborne, praising his “grace” and accusing opposing lawyers of corruption. The court deemed the correspondence “inappropriate” and warned that any further messages would be considered “harassing communications.”
在将透明与程序公正被视为基本原则的加拿大法律系统中，任何私下与法官沟通的行为不仅不被认可，更是明确禁止。法官必须保持公正与独立，而试图“走后门”以博取青睐的做法，不仅违反司法伦理，也严重损害公众对司法程序的信任。
In Canada’s legal system, where transparency and procedural fairness are fundamental, such private communication with a judge is not just frowned upon—it’s strictly off-limits. Judges are expected to remain impartial and independent. Attempting to curry favor behind the scenes undermines both legal ethics and public confidence in the court process.
但在另一种文化氛围中，刘伟宏的行为虽说也太不光彩，但却并非难以理解。在以“关系”为主导的商业模式中，关系网能带来权势，而按规则办事则不会带来太多好处。在这种运作体系中，"关系"往往凌驾于规则之上，而成功与否则取决于其关系网能否在关键时刻发挥作用。根据这种运作思维，向法官写信表达敬意和个人诉求，会被视为一种精明的示好方式，甚至有助于缓和气氛、打开局面。
Yet viewed from a different cultural lens, Liu’s move is more understandable—though no less problematic. In China, guanxi, or relationship-building, plays a dominant role in business and bureaucracy alike. Power flows through networks, not just rules. Personal connection often trumps formal procedure, and knowing the right person at the right time can be the difference between success and failure. In such a system, writing to a judge with praise and personal appeal might seem like a savvy gesture to open dialogue—or at least soften the mood.
但如今刘伟宏却已不在那个熟悉的体系中追逐成功。在加拿大，法律的边界远比个人魅力更具分量，法庭也绝不是一个可以随便在幕后“打通关系”的场所。给法官写信，不仅有违法律常规，还显示出她缺乏对加国的商业，法律系统的理解和认知。
But Liu is no longer operating within that framework. In Canada, legal boundaries matter more than personal charm, and the court is not a place where influence can be negotiated behind closed doors. By sending the letter, Liu not only violated legal norms—she exposed a deeper misalignment between her instincts and the environment she is trying to succeed in.
刘伟宏并非首次闯“红灯”。根据法院提交的文件，多位房东指控她在租约谈判中“毫无准备”，不仅忽视了对商业计划的基本要求，也未对后续问题作出回应。Cadillac Fairview的律师更直言，刘的表现让人感觉她“在完全没有准备情况下参加会议”。其他不满方则称，Central Walk公司竟然都未采取最基本步骤以履行与哈德逊湾公司之间的协议，构成违约。
This is not the first red flag. According to court filings, landlords have accused Liu of being “wholly unprepared” during lease negotiations, ignoring basic requests for business plans and failing to respond to follow-ups. A lawyer for Cadillac Fairview wrote that Liu appeared to be “making this up as she goes.” Others have described Central Walk as breaching its agreement with Hudson’s Bay by failing to take even the most basic steps to finalize the lease deal.
这些接连不断的失误，不禁让刘伟宏精心营造的“远见卓识、能力非凡、势在重塑加拿大零售业格局”的企业家形象大打折扣。相反，人们所看到的，是一位虽能在特定体系中游刃有余的亿万富豪，在面对一个迥然不同的制度环境时显得手足无措、无以是从。在加拿大的法律与商业生态中，成功不仅取决于资本和雄心，还有待于遵循加国的商业规则，而不是把着旧的文化商业习俗不放。
These missteps collectively cast doubt on Liu’s self-portrayal as a capable, visionary entrepreneur poised to reinvent Canadian retail. Instead, they suggest a pattern: a billionaire accustomed to succeeding in one system struggling to adapt to another. In Canada, success in business and law takes more than money and drive—it takes playing by the rules, not importing habits that clash with them.
刘伟宏的这些失误反应出许多中国企业家在加拿大经商所面临的共同挑战。要在这里立足，仅靠信心与资本远远不够，更需要的是思维方式的转变——而这种转变需要时间、谦逊的态度，以及认真学习的意愿，但这种不可能一蹴而就的转变，势在必行，否则即便是最具潜力的商业雄心，也会因缺乏加国经商素养以惨败告终。
Liu’s missteps aren’t unique—they reflect a broader challenge facing many Chinese entrepreneurs in Canada. Thriving here requires more than confidence and capital. It demands a mindset shift—one that takes time, humility, and a willingness to learn. And that transformation doesn’t happen overnight. But until it does, even the most promising ventures risk faltering—not from outside resistance, but from within.
