Some of the diaphanous or apparently sprayed-on clothing of younger Chinese women is more likely to surprise you than your attire will surprise them. Foreigners are stared at regardless of what they wear. Swimwear should tend toward the conservative by Western standards — swimsuits rather than bikinis for women — but not if you are using pools in deluxe hotels with foreign guests. Business attire is similar to that of the West. For most visitors, opportunities to dress up formally are few; no restaurants or hotels absolutely require a jacket or tie.
Greetings and gestures:
The handshake is now used as it is in the West, although there’s a tendency to hang on longer. Take business cards if you have them, as an exchange of cards almost always follows a greeting. Present yours with two hands, and then hold the one you’re given with two hands. If you can speak even two words of Mandarin, you will be told that you speak very well. This is something you should deny even if you are fluent.
Avoiding offense:
However great the provocation, do not lose your temper and shout at someone in public or cause them to experience public shame (loss of face). Even flatly contradicting someone in front of others (so he loses face) is also best avoided if harmony is to be maintained. Instead, complain calmly and privately, and directly to a superior if you wish. Punctuality is very important in China, and the traffic situation in most cities makes that difficult, so allow plenty of time to get where you are going if you are meeting someone.
Eating and drinking:
Master the use of chopsticks before you go. Suggestions that the food is lacking in some way, made by the host, should always be greeted with firm denials. Serve yourself from main dishes using the spoon provided, then eat with chopsticks. Do not leave them sticking up out of your bowl. Your cup of tea will constantly be topped up — if you don’t want anymore, leave it full. There’s a great deal of competitive drinking at banquets, which is done by the simultaneous drinking of toasts in bai jiu (Chinese spirits), to cries of “Gan bei!” (“dry cup” — down in one). Avoid participation by drinking beer or mineral water instead, but if toasts of welcome are made, be sure to make one in reply. Dining tends to happen early, and at the end of the meal everyone disappears quickly. If you are invited to eat at someone’s home, be sure to take off your shoes at the entrance (your host’s protestations that it’s not necessary are merely polite).
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