i s ,B o wo, r 5 h a k H
e ands
w roses,which sig-
:atherappointment
m home.
extendthanks.
lledthe quinceanos;
rile;to be invited to
I moreconservative
a light shirt, and a
.ate,nor is wearing
appropriate.Shorts
from the beachesto
China
People'sRepublic of China
Local short form: Zhong Guo
Local long form: Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo
Abbreviation: PRC
l_&
I Cultural
Note
I ThePeople's
Republic
ofChina
iswellonitswayt0 becomlng
thesuperpower ofthetwenty-first Aside
century. from
c
having
theworld's population
largest andtheworld'slargestarmy,
it isa nu(lear power.
andspace \ow it isaglobal s
2005,thegorlernmentof
economicpoweraswell.lnFebruaryof RussiaU.S.56billionto
[hinalentthegovernmentof I
help
Moscow the
nationalize Yukos
oilcompany
I
WHAT'sYOURCULTURAL
IQ?
The Chineseare not interestedin most internationalsports.
TRusor FeI-sB?
ANSWER:Fersn. While many Chinesehave limited experienceplapng sports, they are
oftenavid fans (and sportsgamblers).When Shanghai-bornYao Ming joined the Hous-
ton Rocketsin 2002,Chineseinterestin basketballsoaredovernight. And the Beijing
Olympicshasgeneratedmassiveinterestin Olympic sports.
Matchthe following Nobel Prizelaureateswith the appropriateprize:
a. Tenzin Gyatso l. Nobelin physics,1957
b. Chen Ning Yang 2. Nobel for literature,2000
c. GaoXingjian 3. Nobel PeacePrize.1989
ANSWERS: a. 3; b. I; c. 2. Tenzin Gyatsois better known as the fourteenth Dalai Lama of
Tibet.Tibet, of course,hasbeen occupiedby the PRC since 1950.Gao Xingjian was the
first Chineseto win the Nobel for literature.Therehavebeenmany Nobel Prizesawarded
to Chinesein the sciences,although most of the recipients(like Chen Ning Yang)have
donetheir most important scientificwork in the West.
Therearemany placesin Asia wherethe People's Republicof China finds itself in conflict
with other countries.Which of theseis not currently an international"hot spot?"
a. Macao
b. North Korea
c. TheSpratlyIslands
d. Taiwan
ANSWER:
a. Portugalcededits colony of Macao to the PRC at the end of 1999,and Macao
hasbeenrelativelypeacefulsincethen. A traditional sitefor gambling,Macaois the only
placeon the Chinesemainland where casinosare permitted.
90 Kiss,
Bow,
orShake
Hands
China

T I P SO N D O I N GB U S I N E SI N
SC H I N A
After the fali r
o Experiencedtravelersavow that patienceis the most important skill neededto do busi- succeeded by Chi
nessin China. The Chinesearevery good at figuring out when a foreigneris under pres- Mao Tse-tung
surefrom a tight deadline,and they turn that to their advantagein negotiations. government that
o Although the economicboom is changingthings,China is still a hierarchicalsociety.Age Juneof 1989on-
is respected.When you send more than one representative China hasbee
to China, the oldestperson
should receivedeferencefrom the younger ones.The elder representativeshould even municipalities.
enter and leavethe conferenceroom first.
o While the Chinese have made great strides in using the Internet, they face serious Type of Gove
obstacles.For one thing, the thousandsof ideographsin Chineselanguageare not easily The People'sReP
adaptedto use on a computerkeyboard.Also, Internet usein China is hamperedby the house, the Natio
government,which censorsWeb sitesand periodicallyshutsdown Internet cafes. National PeoPle
o While many urban Chineseare consumerson par with any in the world, evenwealthy and is made uP o
Chinesemay lack credit cards.This is another factor hamperingInternet commercein ment; the presid
China. Committeeof th
o If possible,avoid traveling to China during the lunar New Year.Also calledSpring Fes- by the current Pr
The Commu
tival, this is China'smost important, nationwide weeklongholiday.Tradition demands
that everyChinesereturn to his or her traditional home during the lunar New Year.With aspectsof life in
so many migrants to the cities,this meansthat there are millions of trips taken by car, Current gove
bus,train, or airplaneduring the festival.

I Not
Cultural
(ultural
Note I revolutio
The
| inwrit
symbols
I Thelunar
New puts
Year enormous strains
on[hina'stransportation
infrastructure.
Manypeople justto
waitfordays
secure
standing
r00m
0natrainorbus. Toalleviate
this,
theChinesegoiiernment
isconsidering colu
invertical
mandattng$aggered
vacations,
inthehope
thattravel
willbeeased ifnoteveryone
isoffworkatthesametime.
Thismayease travel
during reform
This
thina's
othernational
holidays,
butit isdoubtful
whetheritwilleliminate
theSpringFestival
tradition to reformChin
ofreturning
to I
one's
ancestral
home. reformedIhine
I
Language
COUNTRY
BACKGROUND The official natir
ken by more thr
H is t o r y
nese,and Kejiat
The Chineseboastthe world'soldestcontinuouscivilization,with more than 4,000yearsof
minority speak
recordedhistory.Beijing (old Peking)hasbeenthe capitalof China for over 800yearsand is
Although sP
the country'spolitical, economic,and cultural hub.
is from Germar
China was ruled by strong dynastiesfor thousandsofyears. The first recordeddynasty,
include Chines
the Hsia,existedaround2200s.c., and the lastdynasty,the Ching, endedin 191i. Someof
the Mandarin-s
the most important cultural achievementsin history were producedduring this time, such
aspapermaking,the compass,gunpowder,and movable-q?eprinting.
thina

After the fall of the last dynasty,Sun Yat-senfounded the Republicof China and was
succeeded by ChiangKai-shekin 1927.
Mao Tse-tung'sCommunist forcestook control in 1949and establishedthe Communist
governmentthat still exists,although events-from the massacrein TiananmenSquarein
|uneof 1989on-have shown an increasinglypopular demandfor democraticreform.
C
Chinahas been divided into twenty-two provinces,five autonomousregions,and three
municipalities.

Typeof Government
the People's Republicof China has a Communist government,Thereis a singlelegislative
house,the National People'sCongress;all membersbelong to the Communist Party.The
NationalPeople'sCongresselectsthe StandingCommittee, which holds executivepower
andis madeup of the premier and leadingministers.The premier is the headof the govern-
ment;the presidentis the chief of state.The position of secretarygeneralof the Central
Committeeof the ChineseCommunist Party is alsoan officeof greatpower; it is often held
by the currentpresident.
The Communist regime is highly centralized and authoritarian and controls many
aspects of life in China.
Currentgovernmentdata can be found at the Embassyof China at www.china-embassy.org.

I Cultural
Note
I qovernment
lherevolutionary ofthe Republic
People's made
ofChina changes
tothe[hinese Many
language. complex
symbolsinwritten
Chinese
weresimplified.
And 0fwritten
thedirectlon was
Chinese changed:instead
0fbeingwritten
invertical itisnowprimarily
columns, written
likemostWestern from
tongues, lefttoright
inhorizontal
rows.
Thisreformed
Chinese
hasnotbeenuniversally
accepted
bythe[hinese
outsidethePR[.SomeTaiwanese refuse
to reform preferring
Chinese, theprererlolutionary Whenyouq0t0 thePRC,
forms. make surey0urtranslators
use
I
reformedfhinese
I

Language
Theofficialnational languageis standardChinese,basedon the Mandarin dialect.It is spo-
kenby more than 70 percentof the population.Many ChinesespeakCantonese,Shanghai-
nese,and Kejia dialects.Ethnologue,atwww.ethnologue.com, recognizes202languages. Each
minority speaksits own dialector language.Englishis spokenby many businesspeople.
Although spokenChinesehas many dialects(someof which are as different as English
is from German) there is one common written language.This is why many Chinesemovies
includeChinesesubtitles,so that Cantonese-speaking Chineseaudiencescan understand
theMandarin-speakingactors,or vice versa.
 92 K i s sB.o wo.rS h a kHea n d s China

The governmentof the PRC has begun investingin Chineselanguagetraining for for- been educateda
eigners.Contributions to support Chineselanguageprograms are being made to major nist PartYline is
tradepartnersworldwide. membersof the (

T h eCh i n e s e
View NegotiationS
g
C
Despitethe fact that the governmentencouragesatheism,the ChineseConstitution guar- In general,truth
anteesreligious freedom (within certain constraints).Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity munist PartYlin
are the three major formal religionspracticedin China. However,evenlarger numbers of particularlY witl
Chinesebelievein traditional Chinesephilosophies,notably Confucianismand Taoism. sider the othertr
Confucianism,although not a religion with a divine deiry has great influence on Chinese personalfeeling
society.Confucius was a Chinesescholar and statesmanwho lived during feudal times over
2,000yearsago.He establisheda rigid ethical and moral systemthat governsall relationships. ValueSYste
Confuciustaught that the basicunit of societyis the family.To preserveharmony in the China is still Pr
home,certainreciprocalresponsibilitiesmust be preservedin relationships.Theserelation- lowing threese
shipsare betweenruler and subjects,betweenhusbandand wife, betweenfather and son, of dividing righ
betweenelder brother and younger brother, and betweenfriends. Sinceall but the last are
Locus of Deci
hierarchal,rank and agehavehistoricallybeenvery important in all interactions.All actions
In a centrallYc
of the individual reflect upon the family, and filial devotion is of utmost importance.The
viduals arehelc
virtues of kindness,propriety, righteousness, intelligence,and faithfulnesshave also been
by the headoft
deeolvrevered.
closedentities
zonesoffree er
ü ^no* BeforeYouGo from the collec
Mostforeignbusinesspeople in China'smaj0r(itieswillfrndanenvironment comparablet0 that0f anycityin the
industrially
developed world.The greatesthazardsare from trafllc
andenvironmental pollution. S o u r c e so f A n
China's
less-developedareas presentgreaterchallenges.Thetransp0rtation
infrastructure
isoverloaded, andsome The familY,sch
goods
foreign (includingmedicines) may n0tbereadily available. stabilitY to a P
[hinaisthought tobethesource formany forms ofinfluenza infectpeople
thateventually allovertheworld.lt is rather than rel
theorized
thatthishappens just
n0t because ofChina'sunsurpassed population
density,
butbecause ofChinese farming
mon good.Oh
techniques,
whichallowanimals ofdifferent
speciest0(0meintoclose contact.
Thisisbelieved
tofacilitate
viraltransfer
harmonYis vit
between eventualiy
species, resulting
inavirus, whichinfects humans. [ertainly,
anyone whohasvisited anoutdoor
Faith in th
market
Chinese will seedifferentspeciesof liveanimals onsale.Ihe Chinese governmentrerentlyprohibited such
markets
from sellinq
crvetcats,which were suspected tobethesource ofthe SARS virus. other ideolog
Chinaisahugenation, subjecttoaiI manner ofnaturalhazards.Earthquakeshavecausedwidespread deaths inthe such as Falur
pa$,butChinaalsosuffersfrom typhoons andother dangerousstorms,floods,
andmudslldes. fitnesscult, B
Gong demon

CULTURAL
ORIENTATION l s s u e so f E q
Relative to th
Co g n i t i v eSt y l e sH
: o w th e C h i n e seOrg a nizeand Pr ocess
Infor mation ful members
The Chineseare generallycircumspecttoward outsidesourcesof information. They usually inequalitYin
processdata through a subjectiveperspective,derived from experience-unlessthey have the onlY aver

\
 (hina 93

beeneducatedat a Western university.Universalisticbehavior that follows the Commu-

nist Partyline is still required under the Cornmunistgovernment.The favoritism shown to
membersof the Communist Party is overtly particularistic.

Ne g o t i a t i o St
n r a t e g i e s:
Wh a tth e C h i n e seAcceptas Evidence
In general,truth is subjective,and one'sfeelings,along with a modified belief in the Com-
munistParty line, are primary sourcesof the truth. Factsare acceptedby youngerChinese,
particularlywithin the burgeoningentrepreneurialsector.However,they still stronglycon-
siderthe other two sourcesand will not usuallyaccepta proposalif it is in conflict with their
personalfeelingsfor the prospect.

Va lueS y s t e m sT: h e Ba si sfo r B e h a vi o r

Chinais still primarily a collectivisticculture dominatedby the Communist Party.The fol-
lowingthreesectionsidentify the ValueSystemsin the predominantculture-their methods
of dividingright from wrong, good from evil, and so forth.

L o c u so f D e c i s i o n - M a k i n g
In a centrallycontrolled economy,responsibilityrestswith governmentplanners,but indi-
vidualsareheld responsiblefor their decisionswithin the system.Local decisionsare made
by theheadof the collective,and membersmust behaveaccordingly.Collectivesare insular,
closedentitiesin which individual goalsare subordinatedto those of the collective.In the
zonesof freeenterprise,businesses are experimentingwith freedomfrom party rule but not
fromthe collectivistway of thinking.

S o u r c eosf A n x i e t y R e d u c t i o n
Thefamily,school,work unit, and local community are the basicsocialstructuresthat give
stabilityto a person'slife. There is a strong commitment to the extendedfamily. The state,
ratherthan religion,traditionally dictatedthe standardsof wisdom, morality, and the com-
mon good.Obedienceto parentsis integral to a senseof securityand stability.Maintaining
harmonyis vital.
Faithin the Communist Party,which rules the PRC, is abating.SomeChineselook to
otherideologiesfor solace.Theseinclude native and Westernreligions,and organizations
suchas Falun Gong. While most westernersview Falun Gong as a harmlessphysical-
fitnesscult, Beijing has labeled it an "ideologicalthreatJ'The fierce persecutionof Falun
Gongdemonstrates how ruthlesslythe governmentwill attackany rival to its power.

l s s u e os f E q u a l i t y /nl e q u a l i t y
Relativeto the generalpopulation (over I billion), the number of peoplewho are power-
ful membersof the Communist Party is small.Therehas alwaysbeen someconcernabout
inequalityin a systemin which equalityis the purpose,but being a member of the party is
theonly avenueto a position of authority.Freeenterpriseis purported to breed inequality

L-.
 94 K i s sB, o wo, r S h a kH
eands (hina

and uncertainty,but there are rapidly increasingareaswhere it is allowedto flourish.Age is o Unlessyou unde
the only noticeableinterpersonalindicator of inequalitybecauseit is still revered.Women for your collater
arepurportedto be equalto men, but economicand socialinequalitiescontinue. o Foreign executi
'bne impatience'and
:, ,:i
Genderinequalityin China alsomanifestsitself in the official child" policy.Because
',Fil a generationof Chinesewere only permitted to have one child, many did everythingthey to gain an adva
could to ensurethat their child was a boy. Today,China has many more boys than girls, visit, and theYm
which presentsinterestingproblemswhen they reachadulthood. o Never exaggera
virtue-and also
o Chinesemayno
PRACTICES
BUSINESS
auspiciousdaYa
o Be patient. ExPe
a n d L o ca T
Pu n c t u a l i t yA,p p o i ntme n ts, l i me
o Punctualityis very important in China, not only for businessmeetings,but for social neseare cautiou
occasionsaswell. Latenessor a cancellationis a seriousaffront they closea dea
o Rememberthat written Chinesedoesnot havetenses,but there aremany words to indi- o Weights and me
catethe passageof time-tomorrow now, etc. used.
o Be sure to establishcontactsin China before you invest in a trip. Your government's o Bring business,
Departmentof Trade or Commercecan usually assistin arrangingappointmentswith side.Gold ink ir
local Chinesebusinessand government officials and can identify importers, buyers, card in Yourwd
o When entering
agents,distributors,and joint venturepartners.
o Thebesttimes to schedulebusinesstrips areApril to |une and Septemberto October. lead the waY.
o Thework weekhas generallyrun from 8:00e.u. to 5:00r.u., Monday through Saturday. o The Chineseex
However,a five-daywork weekhasbeen initiated in somelargecities. eachside.Subo
o Do not plan businesstrips during the ChineseNew Year,since many businessesclose a comment,but
o FamiliarizeYou
for a week before and after the festival.The date of the New Yearvaries according to the
lunar calendar. Westernvisitor
o Be cognizant of the fact that the Chinese write the date differently than most North o Be patient,exP
o At the end of a
Americans.The year is written first, then the month, then the day (e.g.,December3,
2010,is written 10.i2.03or I0l12l03).
o For a list of the official holidaysof China, visit www.kissboworshakehands.com.
o China is eight hours ahead of GreenwichMean Time (G.M.T. +8), or thirteen hours I Note
Cultural
I On,dish wiln
You
aheadof U.S.EasternStandardTime (E.S.T.+13). Despitethe immensesizeof the coun-
acivet
snake, a
cat,
try, it hasonly one time zone. (which
isactu
cat
thepoten
causes
Ne g o t ia t i n g bree
leftChlnese
o Be preparedfor the Chineseto supply an interpreter.If possible,bring your own inter-
preteraswell to help you understandnuancesin the discussion. Bus i nesEnte
s
o Avoid slang or jargon, especiallyfigures of speechfrom sports.Use short, simple sen- o Businessluncl
tences,and pauseoften to make surethat your exactwords are understood. o You will probt
o Expect to make presentationsto many different groups at different levels. the favor.

^
r Unlessyou understand the significanceof different colors in China, use black and white
for your collateral materials.
r Foreign executives-especiallythose from the United States-have a reputation for
impatience,and the Chinesewill drag out negotiationswell beyond your deadlinesjust
to gain an advantage.They may try to renegotiateeverlthing on the final day of your
visit, and they may continue to try for a better deal even after the contract is signed.
o Never exaggerateyour ability to deliver, because the Chinese believe humility is a
virtue-and also becausethey will investigateyour claims.
o Chinesemay not make any important decisionswithout first consideringwhether it is an
auspiciousday and hour.
o Be patient.Expectto make severaltrips to China beforenegotiationsare final. The Chi-
neseare cautiousin businessmattersand expecta strongrelationshipto be built before
they closea deal.
o Weightsand measuresare mainly metric, but severalold Chinesemeasuresmay still be
used.
o Bring businesscards with a translation printed (in Mandarin Chinese)on the reverse
side.Gold ink is the most prestigiouscolor for the Chineseside.Never placea person's
card in your wallet and then put it in your back pocket.
o When entering a businessmeeting,the highest-rankingmember of your group should
leadthe way.
o The Chineseexpectthe businessconversationto be conductedby the senior officialsof
eachside.Subordinatesmay speakwhen they areaskedto providecorroboratingdata,or
a comment,but in general,they do not interrupt.
o Familiarizeyourself with all aspectsof China before you arrive. The Chinese appreciate
Westernvisitors who demonstratean interest in their culture and history.
o Bepatient,expectdelays,show little emotion, and do not talk aboutyour deadlines.
o At the end of a meeting,leavebeforethe Chinese.

| (ultural
Note
I One youwillnolonger
dish phoenix'-which
tiger,
in[hinais"dragon,
encounter wasmade withthemeatofa
acivet
snake, andapheasant.
cat, In2003, government
theChinese prohibited
thesale
andconsumptionofthecivet
cat(which notafeline
isactually Civet
tothemongoose).
butrelated cats thesource
were which
ofthecoronavirus,
lethalformofpneumonra
thepotentially
causes knownas5ARS.The5AR5 ended
outbreak it
aftertheban,although I
leftChinese withthousands
breeders ofunwanted, civet
unsellable cats. I

Bus i n e sEsn t e r t a i n i n g
o Business luncheshavebecomepopular.
o Youwill probably be treated to at least one evening banquet. You should alwaysreturn
the favor.
 (hina
96 Kiss,
Bow,
orShake
Hands

. Banquetsat restaurantscan be ordered in varying degreesof extravagance. Be sure to o HistoricallY,wo

reciprocateat the sameprice per person as your Chinesehost spent at your banquet- formal (like a t
neversurpassyour host in the degreeoflavishness. sip, and leaveit
o Most banquetsstart between6:30 and 7:00 p.u. and last for severalhours. You should can now be the
,l,::::]::':l:l.ll
arrive about thirty minutesbeforeyour guests-they will arrive on time.
-€ e
€ If you are the guest,alwaysarrive promptly or even a little early. CulturalNote
,:ll''..l.|,
o Businessis not generallydiscussedduring a meal. I
I ttrstonsidere
Po
o Neverbegin to eat or drink beforeyour host does. thousand-
like
o When eatingrice, it is customaryto hold the bowl closeto your mouth.
o At a meal, eat lightly in the beginning, as there could be up to twenty coursesserved.
PROTO
Expectyour host to keep filling your bowl with food wheneveryou empty it. Finishing
all of your food may be an insult to your host, becauseit can mean he did not provide
Gr eeti ngs
enoughfood. Leavinga bowl completelyfull is alsorude. o The Chineser
o The Chinese use chopsticksfor eating and a porcelain spoon for soup. Your attempts at
are common.1
using chopstickswill be appreciated.When you are finished,set your chopstickson the o Visitors to fac
chopstickrest.Placingthem parallelon top of your bowl is considereda sign of bad luck. come.Theusu
. Stickingyour chopsticksstraight up in your rice bowl is rude, as they will resemblethe
o Introductions
joss sticksusedin religiousceremonies.
o Try not to drop your chopsticks;it is consideredbad luck.
T i tl es /F or mcs
o Servingdishesare not passedaround. Reachfor food with your chopsticks,but do not
o The Chinesei
usethe end you put in your mouth! It is acceptableto reachin front of othersto getto the as"General]
servingdishes. "Comrade"ul
o Good topics of conversationinclude Chinesesights,art, calligraphy,and inquiries about
o Names arelis
the health of the other's family. Generally, conversation during a meal focuseson the name,a midc
meal itself and is full of complimentsto the preparer. at birth-in tl
o While the Chinese are not traditionally sports fans, their interest in sport has been
'blive but are often
increasedby the Olympics. U.S. football is called ball" in Mandarin Chinese of Hu, a mid<
becausethe ball is roughly olive-shaped. Hu Chin-t'ao
o At a banquet,expectto be servedrice in an individual bowl by a waiter.In a home,your
o Most PeoPle
hostess will servethe rice. not havea Pr
o Toastingis popular in China.At banquets,the host offersthe first toast,and the ceremony "Mrs.l'or"M
continuesall evening.It is acceptableto toast with a soft drink, but various alcoholic o Chinesewivt
drinks will be available. maidennam
o Never take the last bit of food from a serving dish; this can signify that you are still
her husband
hungry. familY name
o Theservingof fruit signalsthe end of the meal.
westerners\
o If you do not want refills of tea,leavesomein your cup.
o ThankfullY, r
o If you smoke,offeryour cigarettesto othersin your group.Many Chineseareheavysmokers.
a familiar-s
TonYChang
(hina 97

o Historically,women did not drink alcoholicbeverages. If the businessdinner is extremely

formal (like a black-tie event),businesswomenshould accepta drink if offered,take a
sip,and leaveit. However,at a lessformal affair (like a trade associationdinner), women
cannow be the drinking representative!

| (ultural
Note
I p0litet0sample
ttisconsidered every
dish.
TheChinese testyourfortitude
mayeven onpurposewithexotic
delicacies, I
likethousand-year
oldeggsormarinated,
deepJried (completely
scorpions intactwiththeir
stingers).
I

PROTOCOL

G ree t i n g s
o The Chinesenod or bow slightly when greetinganother person,although handshakes
arecommon. Wait for your Chineseassociateto extenda hand first.
o Visitorsto factories,theaters,or schoolsmay be greetedwith applauseas a sign of wel-
come.The usual responseis to applaudback.
o Introductionstend to be formal, with courtesyrather than familiarity preferred.

Tit le s / F o r mosf A d d re ss
o The Chineseare very sensitiveto statusand titles, so you should use official titles such
as"General,""CommitteeMemberl' or "BureauChief" when possible.Never call anyone
"Comrade"unlessyou are a Communist also.
o Namesare listed in a differentorder from Westernnames.Eachpersonreceivesa family
name,a middle name (which usedto be calleda generationalname), and a given name
at birth-in that order.Middle and given namescan be separatedby a spaceor a hlphen,
but are often written as one word. For example,PresidentHu ]intao hasthe family name
of Hu, a middle name of fin, and a given name of Tao.(His name could alsobe rendered
Hu Chin-täo.)
o Most peopleyou meet should be addressedwith a title and their name.If a persondoes
not havea professionaltitle (President,Engineer,Doctor), simply use"Mr." or "Madaml'
"Mrs.l'or "Miss,"plus the name.
Chinesewivesdo not generallytake their husband'ssurnamesbut insteadmaintain their
maiden names.Although westernerscommonly addressa married woman as"Mrsi'plus
her husband'sfamily name,it is more appropriateto call her "Madam" plus her maiden
family name.For example,Liu Yongqing(female)is married to Hu Jintao(male).While
westernerswould probablycall her Mrs. Hu, sheis properly addressedasMadam Liu.
Thankfully,many Chineseadopt an Englishfirst name so that Englishspeakerscan have
a familiar-soundingname to identify them. Thus,ChangWu |iang may call himself Mr.
Tony Chang.Others usetheir initials (Mr. T. J.Chang).
 98 K i s sB, o wo, r S h a kH
e ands thina

o If many Chineseseem to have similar clan names,it is becausethere are only about o The Chinesetra
400 different surnamesin China! However,when thesesurnamesare transcribedinto from appearing
English,there are severalpossiblevariations.For example,Wong, Wang,and Huang are that they havedr
all Englishversionsof the sameChineseclan name. o Gifts of food are
.ft!
a dinner or part
G es t ure s that your host ci
o Avoid making exaggerated gesturesor using dramaticfacialexpressions.
The Chinesedo Candy and fruit
not usetheir handswhen speakingand becomedistractedby a speakerwho does. o Older Chinesea
o The Chinesedo not like to be touched by people they do not know. This is especially r Straw sanda
important to rememberwhen dealing with older people or people in important posi- r Clocks
tions. r A stork or cr
o Members of the same sex may be seen publicly holding hands, but public affection many young
betweenthe oppositesexesis not condoned. r Handkerchi
o Usean open hand rather than one finger to point. r Gifts (or wra
o To beckon,turn the palm down and wave the fingers toward the body. o Do not wrap a g
o Do not put your hands in your mouth (biting your nails, dislodging food from your o If possible,wrap
teeth);this is considereddisgusting. and are alsogoc
appropriatepap
Gifts o All businessneg
o Gift giving is a sensitiveissuein China. While often in violation of Chineselaw,gift giv- o At ChineseNew
ing is widespread. and to the serv
o Avoid giving anythingof valuein front of others;it could causethe recipientboth embar- bao. Give only r
rassmentand trouble. employeea hon
o A gift from your companyto the Chineseorganizationor factory is acceptable. Make it
clearthat the gift is on behalf of the whole companyyou representand is for the whole Dress
group on the receivingend. Be sure to presentthe gift to the acknowledgedleader of o For business,m
the Chinesedelegation.Gifts of this sort might include items from your region of the appropriate. W<
country,like local crafts,historicalmemorabilia,or an illustratedbook. blousesand low
o A banquetis consideredan acceptablegift. Your Chinesehosts will certainly give you o At formal occa
one,and you should reciprocate. formal receptio
o High-quality pens are appreciated.Other good gifts include gourmet food items and o Casualwearis st
expensiveliquors,like good cognac. are acceptablefi
o Stampsare appreciatedgifts if your associateis a collector (stamp collectingis popular
in China).Cigarettelighters,T-shirtsof well-known foreign sportsteams,and electronic
gadgetslike iPods,electronictoys, etc.,are also suitable.However,many of theseitems (ulturalNot
|
are made in China-be certain to check to make sure they are produced in your own I Written doe
Chinese
home country! boughta I bu
book,
o When giving or receivinga gift, useboth hands.The gift is not openedin the presenceof bytimeindlcatolik
the giver.
[ hi n a 99

The Chinesetraditionally declinea gift three times beforeaccepting;this preventsthem

from appearinggreedy.Continue to insist;oncethey acceptthe gift, sayyou are pleased
that they havedone so.
Giftsof food are alwaysappreciatedby Chinese,but avoidbringing food gifts with you to
a dinner or party (unlessit hasbeenagreedupon beforehand).To bring food may imply
that your host cannot provide enough.Instead,sendfood as a thank-you gift afterward.
Candyand fruit basketsare good choices.
Older Chineseassociateall of the following gifts and colorswith funerals-avoid them:
r Strawsandals
r Clocks
r A stork or crane (althoughthe Westernassociationof storkswith births is known to
manyyoung Chinese)
r Handkerchiefs(often given at funerals,they symbolizesadnessand weeping)
r Gifts (or wrapping paper) in which the predominantcolor is white, black,or blue.
a Do not wrap a gift beforearriving in China; it may be unwrappedin Customs.
o If possible,wrap gifts in red, a lucky color.Pink and yellow are happy,prosperouscolors
and are also good choices.Do not use white, which is the color for funerals.Ask about
appropriatepaper at your hotel or at a storethat wrapsgifts.
a AII businessnegotiationsshould be concludedbeforegifts are exchanged.
a At ChineseNew Year,it is customaryto give a gift of money in a red envelopeto children
and to the servicepersonnelthat help you on a regular basis.This gift is called a hong
bao.Give only new bills in evennumbersand evenamounts.Many employersgive each
employeea hong bao equivalentto one month'ssalary.

Dress
o For business,men should wear conservativesuits,shirts, and ties. Loud colors are not
appropriate.Women should also wear conservativesuits, with relativelyhigh-necked
blousesand low heels-their colorsshould be asneutral aspossible.
At formal occasions,eveninggowns are not necessaryfor women unlessthe event is a
formal receptiongiven by a foreign diplomat.Men may wear suitsand ties.
Casualwear is still somewhatconservative.Revealingclothing may be offensive,but jeans
areacceptablefor both men and women. Shortsare appropriatewhen exercising.

| (ultural
Note
I Writt,n
Chinese
does afuture
nothave tense,
0ranyotherverb Therefore,
tense. "Womaishu"
thesentence canmean:
I
bought
abook,
I buyabook,orI willbuyabook.
Iimeframes
canonly
bedetermined
bythecontext
ofthesentence,
or I
bytime
indicaton "tomonowl'Be
like very
specific
0ntimes
anddates
forappointments,
r0ntrads,
orother
transactions,
I