Doing Business in China: Business Lunch, Gift Giving and Negotiation Etiquette

Business lunches and negotiations are obligatory events and nobody denies or calls it in question. What is always necessary to know? What are the basic requirements? At business lunches, seating follows a strict business protocol. That is to say, you cannot just come and take any seat you want. The rule is the following here: the most honorable guest or the head of the negotiations is likely to be seated facing the door. Furthermore, at a business lunch you should never get down to business right away. That means that you should start with common questions and find common ground with the negotiations participants and then everyone will automatically pass into business talks after a while. During a business lunch, a toast is proposed, first of all by the host and only after that you propose your toast. It is very important to remember. Another rule is "the rule of both hands": always accept and take everything with both hands. That is important, polite and delicate. Now we will be talking about business cards where "the rule of both hands" will be also mentioned. That is what I briefly wanted to say about business lunches. Gift giving Small gifts are always appreciated everywhere but in China there are certain rules which specify what kind of gifts may be given and what ones you should not give. These rules are described in a separate range of issues. One thing you always need to keep in mind is that you should not give a clock or a watch as a gift to the Chinese as it would signify the cutting of relationship. Moreover, do not expect your business partner to open your gift immediately for the Chinese never do it in anybody's presence. They are not in European habit of showing what is given them as a gift. Why is it so? Firstly, because a Chinese does not want to be an offense to your feelings and give you any reason to think that your gift is cheap. And secondly, a Chinese does not want to show his emotions as they are hidden. This is what I briefly wanted to say about gift giving. Doing Business in China: Business Lunch, Gift Giving and Negotiation Etiquette is a post from: Traveling China from Traveling China http://www.chinaya.org

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