Ten Diplomatic Do’s in Beijing!

In honor of the Olympics, Terri Morrison, co- author of  Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: Asia - How to Do Business in 12 Asian Countries offers you some guidelines for bringing home your own gold from China!

1) Learn a few phrases in Mandarin!

“Ni Hao! “”Hello!”  Business is built upon relationships, and speaking with prospects in their own language demonstrates a great deal of respect for the culture.  It establishes a level of credibility for you, builds trust, and bridges cultural gaps.

2) Respect your elders.

Although the economic boom is changing things, China is a still a hierarchical society.  Age is respected.  There are many Chinese who believe in traditional Chinese philosophies – notably Confucianism and Taoism.  Confucius taught an ethical and moral system that governs all relationships and reveres virtues like kindness, propriety, righteousness, intelligence, and faithfulness.  Rank and age have historically been very important in all interactions.

3) Remember that written Chinese does not have tenses, so establish the time on your agendas, contracts, etc. as precisely as possible.

Write out your agenda using exact times and dates (written in the Chinese manner), or by using descriptive terms like “tomorrow,” “now,” etc.

4) Plan business trips between April to June, and September to October.

Millions of people travel during Chinese Holidays, and little work is conducted.  View China’s 2008 Holidays at

http://kissboworshakehands.com/2008demo/2008HolidayGuide/Holidays/chi.php

5) Be humble; don’t exaggerate.

Bragging about your accomplishments or your products will not impress the Chinese.  They believe that humility is a virtue – and they will always investigate your claims.

6) Let your host say a few words and start the meal before you begin to drink and eat.

Wait for your host to begin, and learn a toast in Chinese, e.g.: “Gan Bei!” (gahn Bay) – “Bottoms Up!”

7) Use chopsticks correctly.

Become acclimated to using this useful utensil, and never stick them straight up in your rice bowl (they will resemble the joss sticks used in religious ceremonies).  And always use the correct end of the chopsticks – one end is for serving, the other for eating.

8) Leave something on your plate!

Scraping up every last grain of rice in your bowl may imply that your host did not provide you with enough to eat.

9) Get used to smoke.

China is the largest producer and consumer of cigarettes in the world.  Smoking is very common in China, and non-smoking areas are not ubiquitous.

10) Bring a gift from your home state, or headquarters.

While gift giving can be a sensitive issue – (it can be in violation of Chinese law) the practice is widespread. Present your gift in private if possible, expect your associate to decline it two or three times, and do not expect him or her to open it in front of you.  (That would appear greedy.)

Excerpted from Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands: Asia by Terri Morrison and Wayne A. Conaway.

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