I4M Country profile china (in english)

1 Country profile CHINALearnmera Oy www.thelanguagemenu.com
Info4Migrants
CHINA
Country profile
Project number: UK/13/LLP-LdV/TOI-615

9,596,961km2
1,357,380,000 bln
POPULATION
GDPper capita
CURRENCY
$6,959
Languages STANDARD CHINESE,
and other languages spoken by
56 recognized ethnic groups
Yuan (CNY)

COUNTRY BACKGROUND
Capital: Beijing. Besides Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong,
there around 20 mega cities of modern infrastructures, a vari-
ety of entertainment, and population over 5 million.
Climate: extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in
north
Ethnic Make-up: Han Chinese 91.9%, Zhuang, Uygur, Hui, Yi,
Tibetan, Miao, Manchu, Mongol, Buyi, Korean, and other na-
tionalities 8.1%
Religions: Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Muslim 1%-2%, Christian
3%-4%
Government: Communist state
Language: Chinese is spoken by 92% of China’s population.
There are at least seven major families of the Chinese lan-
guage, including Mandarin, Cantonese, Wu, Hakka, Gan, Xiang,
and Min
Time zones: Despite its size, all of China is in one time zone
National Flag
National emblem
China
Beijing
MONGOLIA
RUSSIA
KAZAKHSTAN
INDIA
BURMA

CHINA FACTS
The country and the capital
The modern word “China” most likely derives from the
name of the Qin (pronounced “chin”) dynasty. First
Emperor Qin Shi Huang (260-210 B.C.) of the Qin dynas-
ty first unified China in 221 B.C., beginning an Imperial
period which would last until A.D. 1912. The name of
China’s capital has changed over the centuries. At one
time or another it has been known as Yanjing, Dadu, and
Beiping. Peking or “Beijing” means “Northern Capital.”
Beijing is the officially sanctioned pinyin spelling based
on the Mandarin dialect. Beijing is the second largest
city after Shanghai.
Collectivism vs. Individualism
In general, the Chinese are a collective society with a need
for group affiliation, whether to their family, school, work
group, or country. In order to maintain a sense of harmony,
they will act with decorum at all times and will not do any-
thing to cause someone else public embarrassment. They
are willing to subjugate their own feelings for the good of
the group.
Non-Verbal Communication
Chinese non-verbal communication speaks volumes.
Since the Chinese strive for harmony and are group de-
pendent, they rely on facial expression, tone of voice and
posture to tell them what someone feels. Frowning while
someone is speaking is interpreted as a sign of disagreement.
Therefore, most Chinese maintain an impassive expression
when speaking. It is considered disrespectful to stare into an-
other person’s eyes. In crowded situations, the Chinese avoid
eye contact to give themselves privacy.

CHINA FACTS
Chinese characters
There are 40,000 plus characters in the Chinese lan-
guage. An educated adult will only get to learn 5,000 of
them. You need to know 900–2,000 Chinese characters
to be able to read a Chinese newspaper.
Internet restrictions
At present, many Web sites, such as Google and Facebook
are blocked by what is called the Great Firewall of China.
Other sites that cannot be accessed in China are Youtube,
Picasa, Twitter, Wordpress, Dropbox and many others.
Language
Chinese is not a single language but many languages and di-
alects, some completely unintelligible to one another. There
are 56 ethnic groups in China who speak a total of around
290 languages. Mandarin Chinese is the country standard,
spoken by about 850-900 million people. This is followed by
Wu at about 90 million and Cantonese at about 80 million.

CHINA FACTS
Silk
The Chinese have made silk since at least 3,000 B.C. The
Romans knew China as “Serica,” which means “Land of
Silk.” The Chinese fiercely guarded the secrets of silk
making, and anyone caught smuggling silkworm eggs or
cocoons outside of China was put to death.
According to a Chinese legend, silk was discovered in
3000 B.C. by Lady Xi Ling Sui, wife of the Emperor Huang
Di. When a silk worm cocoon accidentally dropped into
her hot tea, fine threads from the cocoon unravelled in
the hot water and silk was born.
Chinese New Year
The most important holiday in China is the Chinese New
Year or Lunar New Year. Chinese traditionally believe that
every person turns one year older on the New Year and,
thus, that day is considered to be everyone’s birthday.
Red is considered a lucky colour in China, and New Year’s
banners, clothing, and lucky money envelopes are red.
Ancient inventions
The ancient Chinese invented many things we still use
today. Their inventions include the wheel, paper, silk,
matches, gunpowder, porcelain, china, fireworks, medi-
cines, kites, tea, the umbrella, jump ropes, ink, the cross-
bow, and ice cream amongst others.

1 January: New Year’s Day
The beginning of a new year
based on the Gregorian cal-
endar.
Starts on 21 January - 20
February: Spring Festival
The festival falls on the first
day of the first lunar month
(always somewhere between
January 21 – February 20),
and ends with Lantern Festi-
val which is on the 15th day.
This holiday, widely known
as Chinese New Year in the
West, is the most important
traditional festival in Chi-
na. Firework shows, dragon
dancing and lion dancing are
the most common Chinese
New Year activities. Chinese
New Year is a time for fami-
lies to be together.
April 4 or 5:
Qingming Festival
Also called Tomb Sweep-
ing Day or Pure Brightness.
Tomb Sweeping Day is a time
for various activities, and the
more popular ones are tomb
sweeping, spring outings,
and kite flying.
1 May: May Day
China’s celebration of Inter-
national Labor Day.
5th day of the 5th month
of Chinese lunar calendar:
Dragon Boat Festival
A traditional Chinese festival
with activities such as drag-
on boat racing and eating
zongzi (sticky rice wrapped
in leaves).
Moveable date in Autumn:
Mid-Autumn Festival
Mid-Autumn Festival is
held on the 15th day of the
eighth month of the Chinese
calendar, which is in Septem-
ber or early October in the
Gregorian calendar. A day for
Chinese family reunions and
a harvest festival in China.
October 1: National Day
The celebration of the
founding of the People’s Re-
public of China. The National
Day is celebrated throughout
mainland China, Hong Kong,
and Macau with a variety of
government-organized fes-
tivities, including fireworks
and concerts.
The Chinese New Year and
National Day holidays are
three days long. The week-
long holidays on May Day
and National Day began in
2000, as a measure to in-
crease and encourage holi-
day spending. The resulting
seven-day holidays are
called “Golden Weeks” and
have become peak seasons
for travel and tourism. In
2008, the Labor Day holiday
was shortened to one day,
and instead three tradition-
al Chinese holidays were
added.
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

CHINA FACTS
…China is often considered the longest
continuous civilization, with some histo-
rians marking 6000 B.C. as the dawn of
Chinese civilization. It also has the world’s
longest continuously used written lan-
guage.
…China is the fourth largest country in
the world (after Russia, Canada, and the
U.S.). It has an area of 3,719,275 square
miles (slightly smaller than the U.S.) and
its borders with other countries total more
than 117,445 miles. Approximately 5,000
islands lie off the Chinese coast.
…China’s national flag was adopted in Sep-
tember 1949 and first flown in Tiananmen
Square (the world’s largest public gather-
ing place) on October 1, 1949, the day the
People’s Republic of China was formed.
The red in the flag symbolizes revolution.
The large star symbolizes communism and
the little stars represent the Chinese peo-
ple.
…One in every five people in the world is
Chinese. China’s population is estimated
to reach a whopping 1,338,612,968 by July
2009. China’s population is four times that
of the United States.
…The early Chinese emperors kept giant
pandas to ward off evil spirits and natural
disasters. China owns all the pandas and
any panda outside of China is on lease.
…The Chinese were using the decimal
system as early as the fourteenth century
B.C., nearly 2,300 years before the first
known use of the system in European
mathematics. The Chinese were also the
first to use a place for zero. Chinese math-
ematics evolved independently of Greek
mathematics and is consequently of great
interest to historians of mathematics.
…In 1974, a group of farmers digging for
a well in the Shaanxi province uncovered
some bits of very old pottery. They discov-
ered the tomb of Qin (259-210 B.C.), the
first emperor who united China. The tomb
contained thousands of amazing life-sized
soldiers, horses, and chariots.
…The bicycle was introduced into China
around 1891 by two American travellers
named Allen and Sachtleben. The bicy-
cle is now the primary transportation for
millions of Chinese. The last Qing emperor
(Puyi) rode a bicycle around the Forbidden
City in Beijing. China is currently the lead-
ing bicycle manufacturer.
…The 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing
were the most expensive games in histo-
ry. While the 2004 Athens Games were
estimated to cost around $15 billion, the
Beijing Games were estimated to cost a
whopping $40 billion.
… The number of birth defects in China
continues to rise. Environmentalist and
officials blame China’s severe pollution
…White, rather than black, is the Chinese
colour for mourning and funerals.

In the late 1970s, the Chinese government
introduced a number of measures to re-
duce the country’s birth rate and slow the
population growth rate. The most import-
ant of the new measures was a one-child
policy, which decreed that couples in China
could only have one child.
Previous Chinese governments had en-
couraged people to have a lot of children
to increase the country’s workforce. But
by the 1970s the government realised that
current rates of population growth would
soon become unsustainable.
The one-child policy, established in 1979,
meant that each couple was allowed just
one child. Benefits included increased ac-
cess to education for all, plus childcare and
healthcare offered to families that followed
this rule.
Problems with enforcing the policy:
• Those who had more than one child
didn’t receive these benefits and were
fined.
• The policy was keenly resisted in rural ar-
eas, where it was traditional to have large
families.
• In urban areas, the policy has been en-
forced strictly, but remote rural areas have
been harder to control.
Many people claim that some women, who
became pregnant after they had already
had a child, were forced to have an abor-
tion and many women were forcibly steril-
ised.
Impact of the policy
The birth rate in China has fallen since
1979, and the rate of population growth is
now 0.7 per cent.
There have been negative impacts too –
due to a preference for boys for traditional
reasons, large numbers of female babies
have ended up homeless or in orphanages,
and in some cases killed. In 2000, it was re-
ported that 90 per cent of foetuses aborted
in China were female.
As a result, the gender balance of the
Chinese population has become distorted.
Today it is believed that men outnumber
women by more than 60 million.
Long-term implications
China’s one-child policy has been some-
what more relaxed in recent years. Couples
can now apply to have a second child if
their first child is a girl, or if both parents
themselves are only children.
While China’s population is now rising
more slowly, it still has a very large total
population (1.3 billion in 2008) and China
faces new problems, including:
• the falling birth rate – leading to a rise in
the relative number of elderly people
• fewer people of working age to support
the growing number of elderly dependants
– in the future, China could have an ageing
population.
ONE-CHILD POLICY

• China’s economy grew 7 times as fast as America’s over the past decade
(316% growth vs. 43%)
• China’s GDP per capita is the 91st-lowest in the world, below Bosnia & Herzegovina
• 85% of artificial Christmas trees are made in China, so are 80 percent of toys
• China has more pigs than the next 43 pork-producing countries combined
• Chinese consume 50,000 cigarettes every second
• America’s fastest high speed train goes less than half as fast as the new train be-
tween Shanghai and Beijing (240 km/h vs 485 km/h)
• China’s enormous Gobi Desert is the size of Peru and expanding 1,400 square miles
per year due to water source depletion, over-foresting, and over-grazing
• China has 64 million vacant homes, including entire cities that are empty
• The world’s biggest mall is in China, but it has been 99% empty since 2005
• Nearly 10,000 Chinese citizens each year are sucked into unsanctioned ‘black jails’
• By 2030, China will have more new city-dwellers than the entire U.S. population.
• China executes three times as many people as the rest of the world combined, with
at least 1,718 executions in 2008
• When you buy Chinese stocks, you are financing the Chinese government, as 8 of
Shanghai’s top 10 stocks are government owned
• China uses 45 billion chopsticks per year
• 200 million people in China live on less than $1 a day
• China is not free from Europe’s medieval plague yet
•China’s Grand Canal is the world’s oldest and longest canal at 1,114 miles (1,795 km)
long with 24 locks and around 60 bridges.
AMAZING STATISTICS

IMPORTANT TIPS
No
Chinese find “no” difficult to say. They may
say “maybe” or “we’ll see” in order to save
face. Forcing the Chinese to say “no” will
quickly end a relationship.
The name of the country
Always refer to China as “China” or “Peo-
ple’s Republic of China,” never as “Red
China,” “Communist China” or “Mainland
China.” Always refer to Taiwan as “Taiwan”
or “Province of Taiwan,” never “China,”
“Republic of China” (the name adapted
by the Nationalist forces after they fled to
Taiwan) or “Free China”. Do not in any way
suggest that Taiwan is not part of China.
Older people
Show respect for older people. Offer a seat
or right of way through the door to a col-
league or older person as a polite gesture.
Personal questions
Do not be insulted if the Chinese ask per-
sonal questions, such as “How much mon-
ey do you make?”, “How many children
do you have?” or “Are you married?” Just
change the subject if you do not want to
answer.
Especially for Women
China is a difficult place for anyone to con-
duct business. A woman may gain accep-
tance, but it will take time and will not be
easy.
China is a male-dominated society. How-
ever, there are many women in business in
China and some occupy high-ranking posi-
tions and important managerial jobs. One
of the principles of the Chinese communist
system is to work toward sexual equality.
Chinese people are delighted if you make any attempt to speak Manda-
rin, even if it’s only a couple of words. The best way to introduce your-
self is with a warm, broad smile. Even when you might be upset or frus-
trated, smile. It works.

IMPORTANT TIPS
Negotiating teams may have female mem-
bers. Women may be used to decline un-
popular proposals. Businesswomen attend
business dinners, but rarely bring their
spouses.
Chinese women rare-
ly smoke or drink. However, it is acceptable
for Western women to do so moderately.
Silence
Silence is used effectively. Not talking while
others do signifies politeness.
Silence in meetings and during discussions
gives one the opportunity to carefully con-
sider what is being said and formulate an
appropriate response. Resist the urge to fill
the silence and continue talking.
The Chinese concept of privacy differs
significantly from that in the West, where
people are used to having their own space,
office, room.
The Chinese are not accustomed to this
luxury. Privacy to them relates to their own
thoughts and emotions that they proudly
keep to themselves.
Social Distance
Every culture defines proper distance.
Westerners, particularly Americans, find
that the Chinese comfort zone regarding
distance is a bit too close for their comfort.
Westerners may instinctively back up when
others invade their space. Do not be sur-
prised to find that the Chinese will simply
step closer.
Touching
The Chinese do not like to be touched, par-
ticularly by strangers. Do not hug, back slap
or put an arm around someone’s shoulder.
Do not be offended if you are pushed and
shoved in a line. In some circumstances, the
Chinese do not practice the art of lining up,
and courtesy to strangers in public places is
not required.
People of the same sex may walk hand-in-
hand as a gesture of friendship in China.

IMPORTANT TIPS
Gestures & Customs
• Do not point with your index finger, use an
open hand instead
• Do not use your index finger to call some-
one, use the hand with fingers motioning
downward as in waving.
• Do not snap fingers
• Do not put feet on a desk or coffee table. It
is rude to show the soles of the shoes
• Do not whistle
• Use both hands when handing someone
an object, such as a teacup, a gift, or a busi-
ness card
Chinese customs that are confusing to
Westerners:
• Waving the hand in front of the face to
indicate “no”
• Pointing to the nose to indicate “oneself,”
rather than to the chest
• Girls covering one’s face and giggling to
show embarrassment
• Chinese customs that are annoying to
Westerners:
• Belching or spitting on the street
• Lack of consideration when smoking and
failure to ask permission to smoke
• Staring at foreigners, particularly in remote
areas
• Slurping food or making noises while eat-
ing
• Talking while eating
• Eating in public places that are not desig-
nated for food
• Pushing in crowded areas such as railway
stations or bus stop
Laughter
Although laughter is the response to some-
thing humorous, it can also mean someone
feels uncomfortable, or in a situation where
they do not know how to respond. Consider
the situation.

Deeply rooted in Chinese society is the need to belong and conform to a unit, whether
the family, a political party or an organization. The family is the focus of life for most
Chinese. Age and rank are highly respected. However, to the dismay of older people, to-
day’s young people are rapidly modernizing, wearing blue jeans and sunglasses, drink-
ing Coke and driving motorbikes.
Body Language
The Chinese dislike being touched by strang-
ers. Do not touch, hug, lock arms, back slap
or make any body contact.
Clicking fingers or whistling is considered
very rude.
Never gesture or pass an object with your
feet.
Blowing one’s nose in a handkerchief and
returning it to one’s pocket is considered
vulgar by the Chinese.
To beckon a Chinese person, face the palm
of your hand downward and move your fin-
gers in a scratching motion. Never use your
index finger to beckon anyone.
Sucking air in quickly and loudly through lips
and teeth expresses distress or surprise at a
proposed request. Attempt to change your
request, allowing the Chinese to save face.
Chinese point with an open hand. Never
point with your index finger.
Meeting and Greeting
Shake hands upon meeting. Chinese may
nod or bow instead of shaking hands, al-
though shaking hands has become increas-
ingly common.
When introduced to a Chinese group, they
may greet you with applause. Applaud
back.
Senior persons begin greetings. Greet the
oldest, most senior person before others.
During group introductions, line up accord-
ing to seniority with the senior person at
the head of the line.
PEOPLE IN CHINA

CHINESE ETIQUETTE
Meeting Etiquette
Greetings are formal and the oldest person is always greeted first.
Handshakes are the most common form of greeting with foreigners.
Many Chinese will look towards the ground when greeting someone.
Address the person by an honorific title and their surname. If they want to move to a
first-name basis, they will advise you which name to use.
The Chinese have a terrific sense of humour. They can laugh at themselves most readily
if they have a comfortable relationship with the other person. Be ready to laugh at your-
self given the proper circumstances.
Gift Giving Etiquette
Four is an unlucky number so do not give four of anything. Eight is
the luckiest number, so giving eight of something brings luck to
the recipient.
Gifts are not opened when received. Do not give scissors,
knives or other cutting utensils, as they indicate the sev-
ering of the relationship.
Do not give clocks, handkerchiefs or straw sandals, as
they are associated with funerals and death.
Do not give flowers, as many Chinese associate these
with funerals.
Do not wrap gifts in white, blue or black paper.
Dining Etiquette
The Chinese prefer to entertain in public places rather
than in their homes, especially when entertaining for-
eigners.
If you are invited to their house, consider it a great honour.
If you must turn down such an honour, it is considered polite
to explain the conflict in your schedule so that your actions are
not taken as a slight.
Arrive on time.
Remove your shoes before entering the house.
Bring a small gift to the hostess.
Eat well to demonstrate that you are enjoying the food!

Tipping Etiquette
Tipping is becoming more commonplace, es-
pecially with younger workers, although older
workers still consider it an insult. Leaving a few
coins is usually sufficient.
Table manners
Learn to use chopsticks.
Wait to be told where to sit. The guest of hon-
our will be given a seat facing the door. The host
begins eating first.
You should try everything that is offered to you.
Never eat the last piece from the serving tray.
Be observant to other peoples’ needs.
Chopsticks should be returned to the chopstick
rest after every few bites and when you drink or
stop to speak.
The host offers the first toast.
Do not put bones in your bowl. Place them on
the table or in a special bowl for that purpose.
Hold the rice bowl close to your mouth while
eating.
Do not be offended if a Chinese person makes
slurping or belching sounds; it merely indicates
that they are enjoying their food.
CHINESE ETIQUETTE
In most traditional Chinese
dining, dishes are communal.
Although both square and
rectangular tables are used for
small groups of people, round
tables are preferred for large
groups, particularly in restau-
rants, in order to permit easy
sharing.

DOS AND DON’TS
Nǐ chē le ma?
Ask locals if they have already eaten their
meal when greeting them. Chinese often
use a very common phrase “Nǐ chē le ma?”
which literally means “Have you already
eaten?” You might find this routine odd,
but food plays a great role in the life of
Chinese people, and asking if they are not
hungry is a sign of kindness and concern.
Don’t be surprised to see, and feel pushing
and shoving everywhere
The Chinese have little knowledge of queu-
ing and personal space. If you leave a gap
in a queue because of your personal space,
someone will fill it.
Don’t expose your body
When in China, you should not wear very
short shorts when going to school or enter-
ing a temple. Showing your legs or neckline
can shock many locals, especially the old
ones, so always make sure you look neat
and modest.
Don’t be offended by the Chinese
Locals will often say “you are fat,” “you
should wear more clothes, it’s getting cold”
and also ask how much you earn and how
old your girlfriend or boyfriend is. They are
only interested in showing that they care
about you and are not trying to offend you.
Don’t draw attention to yourself in
a negative way
As a foreigner, you will grab everyone’s
attention, but things like behaving abusively
will get you noticed far more and for the
wrong reasons.
Be punctual
Chinese can’t stand unpunctual people. If
you make an appointment with someone,
make sure you show up on time. Other-
wise, it might be perceived as something
extremely disrespectful.
Don’t leave your chopsticks upright in your
bowl or tap your bowl with them
This is the way a bowl of rice is offered to
the spirit of a dead person, at their death-
bed or in front of their photograph on the
household Buddhist altar. Moreover, It’s
also not considered to be very good form to
cross the working ends of your chopsticks
while eating, so you should pay attention to
how you use them when eating.
Greet older people first
When you greet someone
much older than you in China,
you should lower your head
in order to show respect and
recognition. When you meet
someone your age, you should
first wave, then smile and
say “Ni hao!” which means
“Hello!” Unlike some Western
countries, Chinese do not ac-
cept hugs or kisses as a form of
greeting.

DON’TS
Never accept a compliment graciously
You may find yourself at a loss for words
when you compliment a Chinese host on a
wonderful meal, and you get a response,
“No, no, the food was really horrible.” A lit-
tle less boasting and fewer self-congratula-
tory remarks go a long way towards scoring
cultural sensitivity points with the Chinese.
Never get angry in public
Public displays of anger are frowned upon
by the Chinese and are most uncomfort-
able for them to deal with — especially if
the people getting angry are foreign tour-
ists, for example. This goes right along with
making someone (usually the Chinese host)
lose face, which you should avoid at all
costs.
Never address people by their first names
first
Chinese people have first and last names
like everyone else. However, in China, the
last name always comes first. The family
(and the collective in general) always takes
precedence over the individual. Joe Smith
in Minnesota is known as Smith Joe (or the
equivalent) in Shanghai. If a man is intro-
duced to you as Lî Míng, you can safely
refer to him as Mr. Lî (not Mr. Míng).
Unlike people in the West, the Chinese
don’t feel very comfortable calling each
other by their first names. Only family
members and a few close friends ever refer
to the man above, for example, as simply
“Míng.”
Never take food with the wrong end of
your chopsticks
The next time you gather around a dinner
table with a Chinese host, you may discover
that serving spoons for the many commu-
nal dishes are non-existent. This is because
everyone serves themselves (or others) by
turning their chopsticks upside down to
take food from the main dishes before put-
ting the food on the individual plates.
Never drink alcohol without first offering a
toast
Chinese banquets include eight to ten
Never make someone lose face
The worst thing you can possi-
bly do to Chinese acquaintances
is publicly humiliate or other-
wise embarrass them. Doing
so makes them lose face. Don’t
point out a mistake in front of
others or yell at someone.
The good news is that you can
actually help someone gain face
by complimenting them and
giving credit where credit is due.
Do this whenever the opportu-
nity arises. Your graciousness is
much appreciated.

DON’TS
courses of food and plenty of alcohol. One way to slow down the drinking is to observe
Chinese etiquette by always offering a toast to the host or someone else at the table be-
fore taking a sip yourself. This not only prevents you from drinking too much too quickly,
but also shows your gratitude toward the host and your regard for the other guests.
Never let someone else pay the bill without fighting for it
Most Westerners are stunned the first time they witness the many fairly chaotic, noisy
scenes at the end of a Chinese restaurant meal. The time to pay the bill has come and
everyone is simply doing what they’re expected to do — fight to be the one to pay it. The
Chinese consider it good manners to vociferously and strenuously attempt to wrest the
bill out of the very hands of whoever happens to have it. This may go on, back and forth,
for a good few minutes, until someone “wins” and pays the bill. The gesture of being ea-
ger and willing to pay is always appreciated.
Never accept food, drinks, or gifts without first refusing a few times
No self-respecting guests immediately accept whatever may be offered to them in some-
one’s home. No matter how eager they may be to accept the food, drink, or gift, proper
Chinese etiquette prevents them from doing anything that makes them appear greedy or
eager to receive it, so be sure to politely refuse a couple of times.
Never show up empty handed
Gifts are exchanged frequently between the
Chinese, and not just on special occasions. If
you have dinner in someone’s house to meet a
prospective business partner or for any other
pre-arranged meeting, both parties commonly
exchange gifts as small tokens of friendship and
good will. Westerners are often surprised at the
number of gifts the Chinese hosts give. The gen-
eral rule of thumb is to bring many little (gender
non-specific) gifts when you travel to China. You
never know when you’ll meet someone who
wants to present you with a special memento, so
you should arrive with your own as well.
Never take the first
“No, thank you” literally
Chinese people automatically
refuse food or drinks several
times — even if they really feel
hungry or thirsty. Never take
the first “No, thank you” liter-
ally. Even if they say it once or
twice, offer it again. A good
guest is supposed to refuse at
least once, but a good host is
also supposed to make the of-
fer at least twice.
Country profile CHINALearnmera Oy www.thelanguagemenu.com

CORPORATE CULTURE
It is very difficult to break through the “them
vs. us” philosophy (foreign partner vs. Chi-
nese). In personal relationships, the Chinese
will offer friendship and warm hospitality
without conflict, but in business they are
astute negotiators.
Dress
Conservative, simple, unpretentious, modest
clothing should be worn – nothing flashy or
overly fashionable.
Women should avoid bare backs, shorts,
low-cut tops and excessive jewellery.
For business, men should wear sport coats
and ties. Slacks and open-necked shirts are
generally suitable in the summer for busi-
ness meetings; jackets and ties are not nec-
essary.
Women should wear dresses or pantsuits for
business and should avoid heavy make-up
and dangling, gaudy jewelry.
Good to know
Punctuality is important for foreign business
people. Being late is rude. Meetings always
begin on time.
English is not spoken in business meetings,
although some Chinese may understand En-
glish without making it known. Hire an inter-
preter or ask for one to be provided.
Be prepared for long meetings and lengthy
negotiations (often ten days straight) with
many delays.
The Chinese will enter a meeting with the
highest-ranking person entering first. They
will assume the first member of your group
to enter the room is the leader of your
The Chinese are practical
in business and realize they
need Western investment,
but dislike dependency on
foreigners. They are suspi-
cious and fearful of being
cheated or pushed around
by foreigners, who are per-
ceived as culturally and eco-
nomically corrupt.

CORPORATE CULTURE
delegation. The senior Chinese person
welcomes everyone. The foreign leader
introduces his/her team, and each member
distributes his/her card. The leader invites
the Chinese to do the same.
Seating is very important at a meeting. The
host sits to the left of the most important
guest.
There may be periods of silence at a busi-
ness meeting; do not interrupt these.
A contract is considered a draft subject to
change. Chinese may agree on a deal and
then change their minds. A signed contract
is not binding and does not mean negotia-
tions will end.
Observing seniority and rank is extremely
important in business.
The status of the people who make the
initial contact with the Chinese is very im-
portant. Don’t insult the Chinese by sending
someone with a low rank.
Chinese negotiators may try to make foreign
negotiators feel guilty about setbacks; they
may then manipulate this sense of guilt to
achieve certain concessions.
Two Chinese negotiating tricks designed to
make you agree to concessions are staged
temper tantrums and a feigned sense of
urgency.
If the Chinese side no longer wishes to pur-
sue the deal, they may not tell you. To save
their own face, they may become increas-
ingly inflexible and hard-nosed, forcing you
to break off negotiations. In this way, they
may avoid blame for the failure.

Relationships & Communication
The Chinese don’t like doing business with
companies they don’t know, so working
through an intermediary is crucial. This
could be an individual or an organization
who can make a formal introduction and
vouch for the reliability of your company.
Before arriving in China, send materials (in
Chinese) that describe your company, its
history, and literature about your products
and services. The Chinese often use inter-
mediaries to ask questions that they would
prefer not to make directly.
Be very patient. It takes a considerable
amount of time and is bound up with enor-
mous bureaucracy.
The Chinese see foreigners as represen-
tatives of their company rather than as
individuals.
Rank is extremely important in business re-
lationships and you must keep rank differ-
ences in mind when communicating.
Gender bias is non-existent in business.
Never lose sight of the fact that communi-
cation is official, especially in dealing with
someone of higher rank. Treating them
too informally, especially in front of their
peers, may well ruin a potential deal.
The Chinese prefer face-to-face meetings
rather than written or telephone commu-
nication.
Meals and social events are not the place
for business discussions. There is a demar-
cation between business and socializing in
China, so try to be careful not to intertwine
the two.
Business Meeting Etiquette
Appointments are necessary and, if possi-
ble, should be made between one-to-two
months in advance, preferably in writing.
If you do not have a contact within the
company, use an intermediary to arrange
a formal introduction. Once the introduc-
tion has been made, you should provide
the company with information about your
company and what you want to accom-
plish at the meeting.
You should arrive at meetings on time or
slightly early. The Chinese view punctuali-
ty as a virtue. Arriving late is an insult and
could affect your relationship negatively.
Pay great attention to the agenda as each
Chinese participant has his or her own
agenda that they will attempt to introduce.
Send an agenda before the meeting so
your Chinese colleagues have the chance
to meet with any technical experts prior to
the meeting. Discuss the agenda with your
translator/intermediary prior to submis-
sion.
Each participant will take an opportunity
to dominate the floor for lengthy periods
without appearing to say very much of
anything that actually contributes to the
meeting. Be patient and listen. There could
be subtle messages being transmitted that
would assist you in allaying fears of on-go-
ing association.
BUSINESS ETIQUETTE

Veronica Gelfgren
Yulia Bazyukina
Marja-Liisa Helenius
Research
Research, layout
Proofreading
www.thelanguagemenu.com
Learnmera Oy

I4M Country profile china (in english)

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