Chinese business etiquette:business meeting

china is a country more than 5，000 years old. it is known as “a country with an ancient civilization and a land of courtesy and propriety.” chinese culture is very much focused on etiquette， rich in detail and spanning millennia.

so what is etiquette-based culture？ it can be interpreted as a culture based on respect， in which social activities are practiced in accordance with universally accepted customs and conventions. To be specific， people need to respect each other and always stand in the shoes of others. As an old saying goes： “Respect a man and he will do more.” chinese people tend to build trust and develop friendly ties， all on the basis of mutual respect.

etiquette is everywhere in our daily lives； from diplomatic courtesy between different countries to dinner table manners at a family gathering. if lacking in proper manners， a country may be criticized as “being rude，” and an individual may be regarded as making others “lose face” or “not giving face” to others. without courtesy or face， there is no foundation for building good relationships， let alone business cooperation.

today， with china being the worlds second largest economy， there are increasingly more business transactions between china and other countries around the world， and these transactions are getting larger in size. undoubtedly， it is necessary to know something about chinese business etiquette.

“it is a great pleasure to have a friend coming from afar.” When you first meet someone， you will leave a good impression if you show respect to their local customs and act with sincerity. this will lay a solid foundation for future business cooperation.

the following are some basic rules and features in doing business in china by focusing on business etiquette.

Introduction during a business meeting， it is normally the project contact person who will first introduce two parties to each other. in general， they will introduce the leader of the guest team to the counterpart of the host team. later， the two leaders will introduce their team members in a hierarchical manner from senior to junior， or introduce them one by one if they have already been seated.

Apart from the name of each person， their title should also be given for the sake of future business relations. For instance， you may say： he is the sales manager of our company； she is responsible for market development in the Asia-Pacific region； and this is the director of the Product Research & development department， etc.

if you want to get to know someone in a business meeting and no one is there to introduce you， you may choose the proper time to step forward to introduce yourself， “hi， my name is …”

Shaking hands handshaking is often used when meeting someone or bidding farewell. it is also very common when you first introduce yourself. In China， people often shake hands when saying hello to each other： “Nihao， Nihao！” the answer can be the same “Nihao， Nihao，”not necessarily “its a pleasure to meet you.”

A chinese handshake should be neither too light to make the other party feel ignored or belittled， nor should it be too tight to cause any discomfort. the handshake will usually last for around two seconds. in general， it is the senior party that will motion for a handshake first. In other words， the senior manager， the elder person or the host will offer their hand first to a junior member of staff， the younger person or the guest. it is also acceptable if both parties reach out their hands at the same time.

if two people have already been seated or are too far to shake hands， they can resort to other means to express their politeness， such as nodding， waving or bending the body while greeting each other with a friendly “Nihao.”

Business cards Business cards are often exchanged after initial introductions. cards should be held with both hands when exchanging to show respect. it is best to have your card printed in chinese on the reverse and always offer it chinese-side up. the company name and your position in the company should be accurately translated into chinese. if there are not enough business cards for everyone you should apologize for the inconvenience.

Business cards should be simple in design and must display all relevant contact information.