BUSINESS ETIQUETTE IN CHINA
By Wang Xiaojun “Helen”Confucius Institute at UWP
Let the Confucius Institute Introduce You to China
Prof. Xiaojun Wang (Helen)
Visiting Professor of Confucius Institute at UWP
Prof. of South-central University for Nationalities (Wuhan China)
Association of Charted Certified Accountants (ACCA, UK) Affiliate
Tel: 608 – 342 – 1474 Email: [email protected]
Inner Mongolia (2005)
South-central University for Nationalities (Wuhan China)
SCUN http://www.scuec.edu.cn/ http://en.scuec.net/index.php One of six higher education
institutes belonging to State Ethnic Affairs Commission (SEAC)
More than 16000 university students
Students, faculties and staffs come from 48 ethnic groups
Tuition-free to Students majoring in ethnology
Confucius Institute at UWP
Sponsored by the Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban)
Co-op of SCUN and UWP More than 220 in the world, 42 in US Mission and Purpose Promote a better understanding of the Chinese
language and culture among the people of the world;
Develop friendly relationships between China and other countries;
Accelerate the development of multiculturalism at the international level;
Help bring about global peace and harmony.
Confucius Kong Qiu 孔丘 Kongzi 孔子 Kongfuzi 孔夫子 Sept. 28, 551B.C. – 479
B.C. a Chinese thinker and
social philosopher
Main Rites of Confucius---- Analects of Confucius
ren 仁, humaneness “What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to
others.”
filial piety, xiao, 孝 Being benevolent means to love people. The greatest
benevolence is to love one’s own parents.
li 礼, ritual Let the people with administrative injunctions and put
them in their place with penal law, and they will avoid punishments but will be without a sense of shame. Lead them with excellence and put them in their place through roles and ritual practices, and in addition to developing a sense of shame, they will order themselves harmoniously.
Influence of Confucius over Chinese
Harmonious Obedient Self-aware Hospitality
Face
Face, 面子 mian zi Social Networking, 关系 guan xi
Tips to Build and Manage a Guanxi Network:
The best way to strengthen a guanxi network is to stay connected.
Send small gifts or ask for small favors to keep a relationship active.
Host an occasional get-together. Remember the major Chinese holidays and send
greetings. Get to know your colleagues' outside interests
and find ways to support them, like getting tickets to a sporting event or concert.
Tips to save face: Treat your elders and those who outrank you with
respect. Try not to show anger, and try to avoid
confrontations. Try to convey a negative answer in an indirect,
gentle manner. Do not criticize someone in public or single anyone
out in a group situation. If criticism is necessary, pull the person aside and speak privately.
When reciprocating an invitation, be sure it equals the prior engagement in value.
Business Name Card
Name Title Logo Address Phone
Number E-mail Two-side
card
86 – Country Code for China
Title
Cell Phone or Home Phone
number
Name in Pinyin
English Name
Office Phone number
Logo Color: Gold Country Code
How to present business name card? Face to face Arm’s length With two hands Up-side down to your side/ Chinese language side
face up Usually exchange the card at the beginning of or at
the end of initial meeting
Be well aware of Face and Hierarchy Make sure choosing the right Chinese character Make sure taking enough cards
How to receive business name card? Face to face Arm’s length With two hands Carefully take a look of the name and title
Don’t smile too much or laugh at the name or titles
Don’t put the business card into your purse Don’t put the purse with the person’s card inside
into back packet of your pants Never write on the cards unless so directed
Welcome by a lined group with applauding
Reply with nodding or slightly appauding
Addressing Chinese people with respect
last name + Official /Professional Title General Manager Zhang, Zhang jingli last name + Mr. /Madam/Miss Madam Li, Li furen last name + Senior / Junior Senior Tong, Lao Tong
Business Gifts Be gift-wrapped in gold or red Significant Practical Different value of gifts to different people Number 8 means being rich
Gift – giving / -receiving
Gift – giving With two hands Usually will be declined three times before
finally be accepted Don’t expect Chinese people will open the gift
in front of you
Welcome gifts:
Gifts to avoid: Clock, song zhong(wish somebody die)
Book, shu(means loss)
Gifts to avoid: Green hat, lv mao zi(means a man’s wife has an affair
with somebody else)
The number of the gift should not be four, 4
(Means death)
Gift-receiving: With two hands Expressing thanks Don’t open it in front of your Chinese friend(s)
Business Banquet
Places: Kunlun Hotel 昆仑饭店 Beijing Peninsula Hotel 王府半岛酒店 Today’s Holiday Seafood Restaurant 今天
假日海鲜城 Beijing Muslim Restaurant 北京清真饭馆 Noble Club 乙五十六号商务会所 No.5 Houhai Bar 后海 5 号酒吧
Styles : Chinese style Western style
Shared Chinese Food style
Dresses : formally dress up
Time: 5-30 minutes earlier arrival 5 minutes later leave Being late is impolite, even making host
feel losing face
Seat Order: taking the seats on the left and facing the
east or the entrance gate as the seat of honor
identity, status and degree of relationship If the guest of honor is not seated, other
people are not allowed to be seated.
Layout of the dinner table: Round table Chopsticks & spoons Bowls & plates Shared dishes Hot tea Napkins Water (!)
Drinks : Liquor Red wine Juice Yogurt /milk Hot tea Hot water
Dishes: Cold appetizer Soup Dishes Rice / dumplings/ noodles Fruit
Toast: Host to all the guests One-on-one (!)
Toast order Amount of liquor
guests to the host
Taboos in table manner Wrongly/
inappropriate using chopsticks
No toasting back Picking your teeth
publicly
BY-products of Business Banquette in China
Shared dishes - unsanitary
Getting drunk
Wasting time Uncontrolled
smoking Wasting food
and money