China

Greetings

Man greeting Man – Men generally shake hands when greeting and departing, sometimes accompanied by a nod of the head.

Woman greeting Woman - Most women will shake hands when greeting and departing, sometimes accompanied or limited to a nod of the head. Good friends and family may engage in a light hug.

Man greeting Woman - At a first meeting a handshake or nod of acknowledgment will do.

Communication Style

• Most Chinese speak in an indirect manner. There's usually a deeper meaning of their words and sometimes what they mean is quite opposite to what they say.

Personal Space & Touch

• Chinese tend to be comfortable standing a little less than an arms length from one another. One and a half to two feet is common. When meeting strangers this distance is farther.
• In conversation, there is little to no touching, unless it is with families, close friends or boyfriend/girlfriend relationships.
• It is common for women who are friends to hold hands or link arms while walking.

Eye Contact

• Chinese tend to favor direct eye contact over indirect.
• Eye contact is considered polite, and when dealing with an unfamiliar elder one may lower their head as a sign of respect.

Gestures

• Beckoning or pointing with the index finger is considered bad form. Using your whole hand, palm flat, is the way to go
• People beckon one another by extending an arm and making a scratching motion with their fingers.
• Spitting in public after clearing ones throat is quite common
  

Views of Time

• While Chinese value punctuality and diligence for the most part, they do place a great deal of emphasis on people and relationships over deadlines.

• It is common for a boss, or one with a higher social or political status, to be late. This may be done as a show of how busy they are.

• The train and plane schedules tend to be on time, while bus schedules may not be kept and in some areas may not exist.

• It's rude to be late in business situations, however being a little late in social situations is acceptable.

Gender Roles

• Although still a male-dominated society, women are becoming more and more equal, holding various positions of power in business and government.

• Although many women work, they are still expected to do the child rearing, cooking, cleaning and other housework.

• Shaking legs while sitting, snapping fingers, and whistling are generally unacceptable behavior for women.

Taboos

• Using your feet to move something or putting one’s feet on the furniture is considered extremely rude.
• Avoid sticking your chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice as it is reserved for funerals Avoid sucking and biting your chopsticks as well.
• Avoid whistling and finger snapping at someone.

Law & Order

• The legal age for purchasing alcohol is 18 and is somewhat enforced.
• The legal smoking age is 18 and is not heavily enforced.
• Penalties for possession, acquisition, and trafficking of drugs are extremely severe and include mandatory imprisonment in local jails or worse.

Dress

• For men: dark to medium colored conservative suits with shirts and ties.
• For women: conservative business suits or dresses and blouses are appropriate. Avoid low necklines, high heels, and tight fitting or sleeveless attire.
• Jeans and business casual attire are not recommended at a first meeting.
• In warmer months, slacks and a collared shirts are usually acceptable.

Titles & Business Cards

• Titles are very important and it is best to address people directly by using their professional title or Mr., Mrs., or Miss, followed by the surname. In Chinese, the way of addressing people is last name + title. People are often called by their full name or a nickname, for example if you have the same last name as someone you work with, one could be dubbed “Old Smith” and the other “Young Smith.” It is helpful to learn basic Chinese because locals know that it is a difficult language and really appreciate the effort to communicate with them.
• It is advisable to have one side of your business card translated into Chinese and be sure to present your business card with two hands with the Chinese side facing the recipient.
• Give and receive business cards with two hands. It is polite to look at business cards after you receive them with interest by examining them carefully.
• It’s best to place them on the table in front of you and be sure to never write on or fold a business card you are given.

Meetings

• Arriving on time or 5 minutes early for a meeting is important as punctuality is highly valued.
• It is always best to defer to the most senior person in the room when it comes to beginning and guiding conversations.
• Beginning with small talk helps establish a base for the relationship, after which discussion of business matters can begin. It is best to allow your host to begin the business discussion.
• Periods of silence are considered acceptable and are to be expected. Avoid interrupting and talking over someone, if possible.

Negotiations

• Chinese value relationship building and harmony so avoid hard selling, pressure tactics and any sort of conflict or confrontation. Saving face is paramount.
• Decisions are made by the head of the group and can take a long time to be reached. Being patient and flexible works best.
• Chinese an indirect communication style and will avoid using no in answering questions. “Maybe”, “we’ll see,” or “perhaps” will be used as alternatives.
• It is common to be taken out to dinner during negotiations and drinking together will usually be encouraged.

Gift Giving

• Gifts are not usually exchanged at a first meeting.
• Avoid giving gifts of knives, scissors, or letter openers as they signify severing of a close bond. Clocks, cut flowers and anything in groups of four are to be avoided as well.
• Gifts should always be nicely wrapped ( red and gold paper are good) and they are not to be opened right away unless prompted to do so.
• Receive and give gifts with two hands. It is polite to refuse a gift several times before accepting.

In the Classroom

• Dress at most schools is casual to upscale casual. Students usually wear shirts, sweaters, slacks or jeans most of the time. Slippers, jeans with holes, revealing tops for girls and short pants/skirts are generally unacceptable.
• At most universities, the school year starts around Sep. 1st, and ends around Jun. 30th. July and August are the summer vacation months, and there is one month around the spring festival for winter vacation.
• Most university grades are given on a 0-100 scale with 100 being the highest. The minimum passing grade is usually a 60.
• Lecture is the most common form of teaching and sometimes it's all there is.You may meet with professors by appointment although they don’t have scheduled office hours as American professors often do

• Most classes expect students to attend the lectures and finish the homework, then pass the midterm and final exam. There are usually no presentations, essays or group projects. However, students usually take about 10 courses each semester.

• Students are expected to remain seated when a(n) adult or a teacher is speaking. To do otherwise is considered very rude.