A recent headline in the SCMP read:
‘Hong Kong students beat us to it’: Benny Tai declares.
It reminded me of a misunderstanding with a so-called American Chinese lady, on WeChat. While she seemed well educated, her English proficiency wasn’t that good it seems.
In Sanlitun The Village there was an event with male models to promote the opening a new well-known brand. Many people posted pics on WeChat, so did she. I left the comment, well-intended. that others “beat her to the pics”. She was pretty upset about it, did not understand the expression, said she “did not know the others” etc. etc. That was the end of our WeChat connection.

Conclusion was again:

• The vast majority of Chinese who lived abroad fail to properly assimilate a foreign language, while they are convinced “they are fluent”.
• Don’t try to make jokes with Chinese people you don’t know really well. It usually ends badly.

I was left pretty annoyed and disappointed with the miscommunication, even trying my best to explain. In vain.