Being direct and straightforward is regarded as a positive quality in Western civilizations. In most Southeast-Asian cultures this attitude is seen as impolite and pushy. When it concerns a message with a negative meaning, sometimes, it can badly affect the relationship, since being direct with a negative answer is considered to be extremely rude.

The person on the receiving end of such a message will in almost all cases experience it as a personal insult and a loss of face.
This kind of directness is therefore displayed only under extreme circumstances since it will in most cases harm the relationship to such an extent that it can never be repaired.

Acceptable forms of providing negative answers to inquiries are :
- The person to contact is out of the office and will not return this
  week/month
- Change the subject
- Provide an evasive answer
- Provide a time-delaying answer
- Smile and say nothing.

Definately, the person displaying the above mentioned actions has heard and understood the question, and perhaps hidden message, very well. But at that particular moment, he/she may not be able to offer a proper explanation or may have different plans that cannot be made public yet

In turn the person on the receiving end of such an answer/behaviour also understands that the answer to his/her question/inquiry is a negative one. But because this negativity has not been displayed openly, no loss of face has occurred and when situations change it will be easy to revert to the matter again, perhaps with more positive results.

For a "Westerner" it can sometimes be hard to determine what is hiding behind this form of communicating a negative message. However, in such a case one should never persist. To do so will without any doubt bring only embarrassment for both sides.
Patience, reflection, re-evaluation and re-investigation of the situation (possibly combined with a rephrasing of the proposal at hand) will bring more positive results.