Chinese letter intro poetic?

[Scoobyqueen]

I just received this email from a Chinese business partner:

--

Dear xxx,

It is very nice to contact you in such a beautiful summer day, and I believe that your life and your work must be even more beautiful than the summer scenery.

Here I would like to discuss two things with you. etc

--

Just found the intro unusual and was wondering if this was a typical letter writing style. He also sent me a Chinese version (see below). Would you say this was a normal address? I would have to think up standard seasonal methaphors then!

尊敬的xxx：你好！

欧洲的夏天美丽，你的生活和工作一定更美丽。

But in any case, I found it somehow cute and it made me smile.

[Kenny同志]

This is absolutely funny stuff ! Imao

However this kind of business letter, I am afraid, is not uncommon in China, the vice of which may largely be ascribed to bureaucracy and the culture of 拍马屁.

The letter is considered absurd even if it is written in Chinese this way. At least, I think so and I am Chinese.

It all sounds flattery which makes no sense at all.

[Scoobyqueen]

It all sounds flattery which makes no sense at all.

Maybe he is trying to copy me or adapting to how we might address each other in the west. Last year I needed this guy as a speaker and I "accused" him of being charismatic, dynamic with exceptional competence within our business sector etc pehaps it is a case of 入乡随俗.

[Kenny同志]

I should say that in China many people find this kind of stuff boring and TRULY UNNECESSARY and there are some efforts made to change the course but on some, especially so - called formal occasions, it is still very hard for the speakers or writers to leave out that sort of stuff. This really disappoints me!!!

To my great joy, more and more people now begin to get rid of it.