Tips on Chinese Business Etiquette

Chinese culture and beliefs are very much different than those of the Western world. And in having business dealings with the East, it is a must for any foreigner to observe a certain set of rules in Chinese business etiquette. Here are a few tips that might be helpful to your business transactions with Chinese: * When addressing a person, use the family name. Chinese family names are usually one syllabic words. For example, Mr. Lim, Ms. Teng, Mrs. Yang, etc. And if you are not sure of one's surname, ask a native speaker. * Be respectful to those in high ranking positions. In case you are talking with a Chinese person possessing a certain position in the company, address him or her like as, Chairman Wang, President Lim, or Director Chen. This is a sign of respect. * Don't insist to your Chinese counterparts that you are on first name basis. Being friendly is good but shouldn't be done too soon. You can still be friendly and respectful at the same time with certain degree of formality. * In Chinese culture, the first person who enters the room is generally the head of the group. Those VIPs are usually escorted to their seats. Likewise, principal guests are seated directly opposite the principal host or head. So observe and sit according to your position and/or profession. * Observe the Chinese customs in exchanging business cards. Hold it out with your both hands and exchange individually. Make sure the writing faces the receiver. Do not toss your card across the table. That's considered very rude and unbecoming. * If you are receiving the business card, skim through it immediately. Never put the business card you received directly into your pocket or business card holder. Instead, lay it in front of you on the table. * When in meetings, do some small talk with your Chinese counterparts. However, do not tell them Western-style jokes as they could or might cause confusion or worst hurt other people's feelings. Never talk business right away. * If you're attending a banquet or any formal gatherings, always be prepared to give a brief but relatively friendly speech. * In case you are inviting Taiwanese individuals to your dinner party, serve an actual meal rather than dip-in snacks and beverages. * If you are invited for a dinner, sample each dish served. If you're already full, leave something on your plate so your host would know that you're done and satisfied with the meal. * When attending any social event or business meetings with Chinese, bring something from your region as a gift or token of appreciation. For Chinese culture, giving gifts means that you are quite interested in building relationship (guanxi) with them. * Always wrap your gift in colorful, very attractive gift wrappers. Never ever use plain white or black paper to wrap your gift as these colors represent mourning and death. * Like the business card, present your token with both hands and mention that it's just a small token of appreciation on your behalf. * Never expect or ask them to open the gift. Remember, it's always the thought that counts. * Avoid giving things that suggest tears or death. Things to avoid are as follows: o Clock o Handkerchief o Umbrella o White flowers (chrysanthemum) * Never give sharp objects as gifts such as scissors or set of knives as these could mean you're cutting the relationship you have with them. Tips on Chinese Business Etiquette is a post from: Traveling China from Traveling China http://www.chinaya.org

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