NEW YORK (FORTUNE Magazine) - Are Chinese executives smarter than their American counterparts? One recent study suggests that when it comes to emotional intelligence, or EQ, the answer is yes. EQ measures the ability to blend reason with feeling.

This summer 3,000 Chinese executives from the public and private sectors were surveyed by TalentSmart, the leading provider of emotional intelligence tests. The appraisal measures what people do and say in the workplace, and in all four categories -- self-awareness, social awareness, self-management, and relationship management -- the Chinese executives outscored American businessmen who have taken the test.

In the first two categories the results were statistically insignificant, but when it comes to self-management and relationship management, the Chinese scored about 15 points higher.

"It was surprising to see such a large gap," says Travis Bradberry, the president and co-founder of TalentSmart. "Self-management and relationship management are so important to an executive's job performance that this finding does not bode well for U.S. competitive advantage in the global economy."

What's Your EQ? Emotional intelligence scores on a scale of 100

Self-awareness

China 83

U.S. 81

Social awareness

China 83

U.S. 80

Self-management

China 84

U.S. 69

Relationship management

China 82

U.S. 66

FORTUNE CHART / SOURCE: TALENTSMART