FOREIGN (CHINESE) CTLR AND FLC LANGUAGE BARRIER. CTLR RPTED TFC AT LOWER ALT; BOTH FLC THOUGHT IT WAS A CLRNC TO LOWER ALT AND DSNDED. CREATED MAJOR DIPLOMATIC PROBS FOR FLC WITH OFFICIALS.

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APCH CTL WAS ALSO THE TWR. THE CHINESE CTLR'S ENGLISH WAS VERY MARGINAL. TO AGGRAVATE THIS SIT THERE WAS A LOUD SQUEAL IN HIS XMISSION (THIS OCCURRED EACH TIME HE WOULD XMIT; IT SOUNDED LIKE 2 XMITTERS ON THE SAME FREQ). 4 HRS LATER ANOTHER OF OUR COMPANY ACFT ARRIVED AND RPTED THE SAME PROB; THE NEXT MORNING IT WAS STILL THERE. WE HAD BEEN STEPPING DOWN TO LOWER ALTS FOR OUR ARR; AND WAS LEVEL AT 6000 METERS. THE CTLR GAVE WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS A DSCNT TO THE NEXT LEVEL; 5700 METERS. BUT; WHAT HE ACTUALLY GAVE WAS TFC AT 5700 METERS IN OUR 11 O'CLOCK POS. AS IS OUR PRACTICE; THE FO AND THE CAPT MUST AGREE ON WHAT WE HEARD BEFORE TAKING ACTION. WE BOTH HEARD 'DSCNT TO 5700 METERS' BUT TO BE SURE THIS WAS READ BACK TO THE CTLR AND THAT WAS ACKNOWLEDGED. THEN WE HEARD A LOT OF CHINESE ON THE RADIO AND WE WERE TOLD TO CLB BACK TO 6000 METERS (WE THINK THE OTHER AIRLINE'S PLT HEARD OUR RPT OF 'OUT OF 6000 METERS FOR 5700 METERS'). WE HAD A VISUAL ON THE OTHER TFC ALONG WITH A TCASII RETURN. WE NEVER GOT ANYWHERE CLOSE TO THIS AIRPLANE. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ANYWHERE ELSE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A NON-ISSUE; JUST A COM MISTAKE. BUT THE STATION MGR WANTED TO MAKE A BIG DEAL OUT OF IT AND CAUSED ME A LOT OF GRIEF FOR THE NEXT 12 HRS. HE CALLED 3 MEETINGS AND WOULDN'T ALLOW ME TO START ENGS THE NEXT MORNING (WITH THE CEO AND OTHER EXECUTIVES ON BOARD). ONE MEETING WAS XA00 TO XD30. BEFORE I COULD LEAVE I HAD TO SIGN A PAGE WRITTEN IN CHINESE; I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT IT SAID. ALL THIS CLOWN WANTED WAS A DAY OFF AND HE DIDN'T GET IT. I ASKED TO HEAR THE ATC TAPES; BUT THAT WAS REFUSED.