Business Etiquette in China
Information About Meetings, Dining and Gifts in the Middle Kingdom
Nov 6, 2009
Meetings are always formal and guests can expect to greet their Chinese counterparts with a handshake, but don't expect a firm grip. A firm handshake will be seen as aggressive. After the initial introduction it will be time to exchange business cards. This aspect of Chinese culture can be tricky for outsiders to master with ease, since a business card represents the entire company and not just the individual.
The cards should be presented with both hands at every meeting and one side of it should be translated into Chinese. Gold ink is an auspicious colour and will please the recipient. Guests should examine a Chinese executive's card carefully before setting it next to something on a table. Putting it directly into a pocket is taboo. It's even worse to insert it in the back pocket where it will be sat upon.
Conducting Meetings and Presentations When in China
Arriving on time is essential to build a relationship with the Chinese. Foreigners should bring an interpreter along if they plan to discuss some complex legal or technical matters. A great deal of patience is required during a meeting. Unlike meetings in the West, they can go on for several hours throughout the day. Decades of sitting through political speeches that could last for days have given the Chinese the stamina to sit and listen for interminably long periods. Mobile phones will ring frequently and conversations can be loud and boisterous.
Rank is extremely important and only senior members of the Chinese negotiation team will speak. The foreign delegation should follow suit. Avoid using long sentences filled with jargon and slang because the Chinese representatives will probably not understand these expressions. Decisions will not be made quickly. Negotiation can be a slow process and decisions are often mired in enormous bureaucracy.
Presentation materials should only be made in black and white. Interrupting the Chinese hosts is the worst possible insult. It shows a lack of proper behaviour and respect. Guests should never look bored or glance at watches with great frequency. The Chinese will carefully scrutinize their foreign counterparts every step of the way.
Dining Out in China
Banquets in restaurants are the preferred form of entertainment and are used to build relationships before getting down to matters of business. Guests will rarely, if ever, be invited to somebody's home. Wait to be seated, as it's based on hierarchy as in meetings. As a courtesy diners should try every dish that's offered and are advised to sample a small portion of each. Banquets can consist of at least twenty courses.
The Chinese might offer knives and forks for guests who cannot adequately handle chopsticks. If the opposite is the case, there are some points about chopsticks that must be remembered. These utensils should never be inserted in an upright position into a bowl of rice. This is how the Chinese show respect to dead ancestors, similar to how Westerners put flowers near gravestones.
If guests clean their plates completely, the Chinese will assume that they want more to eat. The Western custom of getting together for after dinner drinks is still rare, but coffee may be served. Business is never discussed while eating.
Gift Giving in China
Gifts will always be appreciated by the Chinese hosts as long as they are of the appropriate type and not too expensive. Here are some inappropriate gifts:
- Clocks would never be suitable. In Chinese the phrase 'to give a clock' sounds like 'to pay one's final respects.' Hence, many Chinese people would not be comfortable about exchanging clocks as a homonym for attending a funeral.
- Anything that is outrageously expensive. This kind of gesture will be interpreted as an attempt to bribe somebody, which is a serious crime in China.
- Avoid giving gifts that are wrapped in black or white paper. These colours represent death.
Fine liquors, pens and solar calculators will be gladly accepted by Chinese business partners.
Taboo Conversation Topics in China
Guests will be well advised to stay away from the three T's. They are Tibet, Taiwan and Tiananmen Square. In other words, policies that are challenged by such countries as the United States. Avoid making overly positive remarks about Japan. The tumultuous relationship between the two countries has left deep scars on the Chinese psyche.
Travelers might want to take a plentiful supply of business cards, since they will meet lots of people. Do learn some Chinese. It will break the ice and show interest in the host culture.
References:
Chinese Business Etiquette and Culture by Kevin Bucknall, Ph.D., Boson Books, 2003.
The Chinese Business Puzzle by Andrew Williamson, How To Books, 2003
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