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A Chinese-born entrepreneur, now living in Spain, recently dropped a line that has set Spanish social media ablaze: “I’d rather sleep on the street than work for someone else.” Sincere and with no filter, just some raw mentality that makes many Europeans raise an eyebrow and maybe rethink their professional life. For example, in Spain, in 2024 there were 226,718 Chinese nationals. 55 per cent of them are self-employed, making them the largest foreign group of self-employed workers in the country. In China, hard work isn’t a lifestyle choice, it’s a cultural mindset. Entrepreneur Sifu Shun calls it “a culture of effort,” one that prizes collective success, personal sacrifice, and moving fast when opportunity strikes. A crisis? That’s an opportunity for China “In China, we say that inside every crisis, there’s an opportunity,” he told Spanish host Uri Sabat during a recent podcast appearance. “While others freeze, we move.” Compare that to Western Europe, where job security and work-life balance are basically national religions. In Spain, for instance, taking a siesta is not laziness, it’s self-care. But to someone like Sifu Shun, that pause looks more like a missed chance to build something that’s yours. How the Chinese entrepreneurs see Spain Shun sees Spain not as a slow market, but as a land of open doors. And he may not be wrong. Spain’s unemployment rate is still one of the highest in the EU, traditional jobs are thinning out, and the old “work 30 years for a pension” model feels a bit outdated. For many Chinese entrepreneurs, that’s not a warning or a reason to give up. In fact, for them it’s a welcome sign. Spain offers relatively easy pathways for foreigners to set up businesses. We’re talking about shops, especially in retail, hospitality, and small services. Another advantage: in Spain there’s already an important Chinese community, sharing advice, suppliers and networks for the newcomers. The Chinese discipline and precision “Europe right now is an oasis of opportunity. While big economies fight their trade wars, we build quietly,” Shun said. He’s not just talking words. Everywhere in Spain you see the fingerprints of Chinese entrepreneurship: corner shops that never seem to close, restaurants run with military precision, logistics companies linking Madrid to Shanghai. Everything is about discipline. Clashing business mindsets In China, hierarchy and hustle rule, while in Europe, it’s all about dialogue and compliance. Europeans tend to move and navigate through systems (permits, procedures, protections), but Chinese entrepreneurs are extremely flexible and move around them. For example, to someone like Shun, the Western obsession with balance looks dangerously close to complacency. To Europeans, his “sleep-on-the-street” mindset sounds like madness, right? And yes, Shun’s philosophy may sound extreme for many, but his view is that comfort kills momentum. Spain gave him sunlight, structure, and a market ready to move, while he brought the fire. Read here more news from Spain.
