SOME CHINESE CUSTOMS

SOCIAL CUSTOMS

Do:

Remember that 'face’ is very important to the Chinese. Don’t make them lose face by making them appear dumb, or because you are confrontational and make someone back down in public. Even when fiercely bargaining in a market, you should take care not to make people lose their pride in front of others. A laughing, joking attitude when driving to clinch a hard deal works a lot better than banging and shouting: “Hey,” I protest to an old lady trying to charge me 10 times the going rate for a painting, “I’m a poor, old. starving, crippled. unemployed, poverty-stricken ignorant foreign devil.” She cackles, and cuts her outrageous price.

Use both hands to receive and give things, e.g. a glass at a table, returning a borrowed pen, accepting your bill in a restaurant. It shows respect and indicates that you are a civilised human being.

Be polite.
It costs you nothing but pays a fortune, Never force someone into a corner where they are going to have to publicly shame themselves; You may win a point but you’ve made a lifelong enemy and shown yourself to be an arrogant bully.

Remember that life in China depends on guanxi (connections). It’s who you know which gets things done. In Chinese society, it is totally acceptable to use friends, relations, odd acquaintances. school chums or anyone at all to ask for favours or special treatment. This is far more extensive than the British Old School Tie network and applies to anything from a business license and train ticket to a place in school for a neighbour’s kid or a job.

Don't:

Expect to get the truth all the time in China. That’s because people tell you what they think you want to hear. You can sit about at a bus station or airport and nobody will tell you that the service has been cancelled or delayed. They simply do not want to be bearers of bad news.

Scream in rage or lose your self-control, if you can help it. This makes you look shameful in front of the Chinese.

Be surprised when you get a giggle when a mistake has been made. The Chinese show their embarressment by giggling at you.