{"id":1367,"date":"2018-05-03T05:32:39","date_gmt":"2018-05-02T21:32:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/2018\/05\/03\/improve-yourself-with-these-chinese-business-etiquette-tips\/"},"modified":"2024-12-27T09:38:58","modified_gmt":"2024-12-27T01:38:58","slug":"improve-yourself-with-these-chinese-business-etiquette-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/improve-yourself-with-these-chinese-business-etiquette-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Improve Yourself with These Chinese Business Etiquette Tips!"},"content":{"rendered":"

With increasing globalization comes the need for more and more people to do business<\/a> with the Chinese. As a result, many in the Dig Mandarin audience seek to improve their business vocabulary. While language is important in bridging an intercontinental re<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

With increasing globalization comes the need for more and more people to do business with the Chinese<\/a>. As a result, many in the Dig Mandarin audience seek to improve their business vocabulary. While language is important in bridging an intercontinental relationship, the cultural expectations and etiquette behind the language are even more essential<\/a>. Developing insights into the Chinese business culture and social etiquette of China will help you avoid miscommunication<\/a> and potential misunderstandings. When it comes to Chinese business etiquette, there is just one overarching rule: When in China, do as the Chinese do!<\/p>\n

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Image: HD Footage Stock<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chinese Meeting Etiquette<\/strong><\/p>\n

1.\u00a0Greetings<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nodding and smiling are very common greetings. In official business meetings, you will be offered a handshake. This handshake must be initiated by your Chinese counterpart.<\/p>\n

Besides \u201c\u4f60\u597d\u201d (n\u01d0 h\u01ceo \u2013 hi, hello) and \u201c\u5f88\u9ad8\u5174\u8ba4\u8bc6\u4f60\u201d (h\u011bn g\u0101ox\u00ecng r\u00e8nsh\u00ed n\u01d0 \u2013 Nice to meet you), you can also say \u201c\u5e78\u4f1a\u201d (x\u00ecng hu\u00ec; I\u2019m charmed to meet you.) or \u201c\u4e45\u4ef0\u201d (ji\u01d4y\u01ceng; I`ve long been looking forward to meeting you), two proper expressions which will no doubt impress! Chinese people will always appreciate it if you can use some Chinese words, but make sure you know the exact meanings and use in the appropriate situations.<\/p>\n

2. Addressing<\/strong><\/p>\n

Regarding a courteous address, most people should be addressed with their titles followed by their surname. For example:<\/p>\n

\u738b\u7ecf\u7406 (W\u00e1ng j\u012bngl\u01d0; Manager Wang).<\/p>\n

\u5f20\u6559\u6388 (Zh\u0101ng ji\u00e0osh\u00f2u; Prof. Zhang).<\/p>\n

If you are not sure about the precise titles, you can also use \u5148\u751f(xi\u0101nsh\u0113ng; Sir, Mr.)\uff0c\u5c0f\u59d0(xi\u01ceoji\u011b; miss) or \u5973\u58eb(n\u01dash\u00ec; madam) instead.<\/p>\n

3. Business cards<\/strong><\/p>\n

Exchanging business cards is another key part of introductions. A business card is regarded as an extension of the person, so treat the business card carefully. The \u00a0polite thing to do is accept the business card with both hands and look at it carefully as you do so. A business card can also be a cheat sheet for your counterpart\u2019s exact rank and title.<\/p>\n

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Image: Lilly and Associates International<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chinese Chatting Etiquette<\/strong><\/p>\n

4. Small Talk<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chinese people, much like English-speaking peoples around the world, often open conversations with small talk, which can break the ice. Questions like \u201c\u4f60\u5403\u4e86\u5417?\u201d (N\u01d0 ch\u012ble ma? Have you eaten?) or \u201c\u4f60\u53bb\u54ea\u513f\u4e86\uff1f\u201d (N\u01d0 q\u00f9 n\u01cer le? Where have you been?) are common ice breaking pleasantries in Chinese culture<\/a>. Thus, don`t feel the need to go into detail in your answer. These questions are just like \u201chow are you?\u201d in English-based culture.<\/p>\n

5. Conversation topics<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Do:<\/p>\n

Climate, travel<\/a>, scenery, and food<\/a> are all popular and safe topics to use while talking with Chinese people. Talking about your positive impressions of China in such aspects is always welcomed.<\/p>\n

Do Not:<\/p>\n

Avoid political discussions. It`s polite and wise to keep basic respect.<\/p>\n

6. Save and give face\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u9762\u5b50 (face) is one of the key aspects of Chinese culture. A Chinese person always wants to save face, never lose it. In order to \u201cgive face,\u201d pay attention to elders and rankings, especially when it comes to government officials.<\/p>\n

Be careful when commenting with strong negative statements. For Chinese people, it`s impolite to give negative answers directly. The blunt \u201cNo\u201d should be replaced by the euphemistic \u201cmaybe\u201d or \u201cwe`ll think about it\u201d. For more ways to politely express \u201cno,\u201d click\u00a0here\u00a0.<\/p>\n

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Image: Business China<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chinese Dining Etiquette<\/strong><\/p>\n

7. Seat and order<\/strong><\/p>\n

During a Chinese dinner, there is a certain order in which people must sit down. You can expect more senior business people to be seated first, then just wait for the Chinese people to show you your seat.<\/p>\n

8. Eating<\/strong><\/p>\n

Don`t start eating before others, especially the elders and seniors as rank is very important in Chinese culture.<\/p>\n

Don`t finish all your food. Otherwise, the Chinese people at the table will think you are still hungry and that they didn`t feed you well enough. This could result in them continuing to add food to your plate.<\/p>\n

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Image: Chinalisation<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

9. Invitation<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you invite someone to do an activity or have a meal, you are expected to pay for it. While \u201cgoing Dutch\u201d is common in the younger generation, the expectation in a business setting is still that the person who gives the invitation pays. If you do invite and pay, try not to show your money in front of your guests. Before hosting or attending a meal, you should know more about\u00a0the unwritten rule of paying bills.<\/p>\n

10. Table manners<\/strong><\/p>\n

Never\u00a0stick your chopsticks straight into your bowl. This action is reserved for funerals, so it is very really offensive to a table of live persons.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, never tap your bowl with your chopsticks as this is associated with begging.<\/p>\n

Chinese Gifts Etiquette<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

11. Accepting gifts<\/p>\n

When you receive a gift, just as when you receive a business card, accept it with two hands. Don`t open the gift immediately unless the person who gives it to you requests that you open it right away.<\/p>\n

12. Giving gifts<\/p>\n

Giving gifts to your Chinese colleagues is a kind of art. What do you give? When do you give? To whom should you give? These are all questions worth discussing. However, for the sake of brevity, I will just give you an overview.<\/p>\n

The most important thing is to take cultural taboos seriously to avoid offending others.<\/p>\n

Do not:<\/p>\n

Don`t give clocks, watches, green hats, or chrysanthemums as gifts. Want to know why?\u00a0Click here for details.<\/p>\n

Gifts should not be too expensive. And if your business counterparts are government officials, make sure you don\u2019t give them a reason to mistake your kindness as bribery.<\/p>\n

What are some other pieces of advice you would give to expats doing business in China? Let us know by commenting below!\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With increasing globalization comes the need for more and more people to do business with the Chinese. As a result, many in the Dig Mandarin audience seek to improve their …","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25365,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[1948,60,386,1246,1780,306,3525,29,34,214],"class_list":["post-1367","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pro-tips","tag-business","tag-china","tag-chinese-culture","tag-communication","tag-food","tag-hiredchina","tag-improve-yourself-with-these-chinese-business-etiquette-tips","tag-jobs","tag-jobs-in-china","tag-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1367","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1367"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1367\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25367,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1367\/revisions\/25367"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25365"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1367"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1367"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1367"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}