MARIA TATIANA ORJUELA VARGAS

ERIKA CATALINA PENAGOS GUERRERO

BUSINESS IN
CHINA:
ETIQUETTE
AND
PROTOCOL

 02

RULES FOR MEETINGS

1 Although the Chinese themselves may be late,
make sure you are on time. If you are late,
apologize for your lateness. Allow 10 minutes
for others to arrive.

2
In China, people enter a meeting in order
of importance, the highest ranking person
arrives first, and so on. The same goes for
presentations.

Chinese colleagues may clap when they introduce

3 you as a way of greeting and showing approval. If

so, it is appropriate to clap each other.

03
4
You are expected to greet everyone present
individually, even if the group is large.

5 Allow a few moments of social chat before

bringing up business.

6 Traditionally, the host will deliver a quick

speech greeting everyone before
discussing business.

7 Make sure to highlight the status, size,

reputation, and wealth of your company.

 05

8 When it's your turn to speak, start by

providing in-depth information about
your company, its history, the context of
the negotiations, and all the relevant
details. If you don't, expect a lot of
questions to be asked until you've
provided all of this information.

9 Business cards in China are also called

"name cards."

 10
Receiving business cards: Chinese culture
interprets the attention and respect shown
to someone's business card as indicative of
the respect that will be shown to the person
in business. To receive a business card, use
both hands or just your right. Don't put the
card away immediately, but look at it
carefully and place it on the table in front of
you until everyone is seated. Do not put it in
the back pocket of your pants, as it could be
interpreted as you sitting on his face.
Similarly, do not write on the card unless
instructed to do so.

 11
Present business cards: Use
both hands or just the right
hand when handing out a
business card and make sure
the letter is facing the other
person. Do not deal the cards
as if you were playing cards,
as you run the risk of being
interpreted as rude.

NEGOTIATION STYLE:
The Chinese term for negotiation, so pan,
RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING combines two characters that mean
"negotiate" and "judge". From the Chinese
ORIENTED point of view, the negotiations are
mechanisms to create trust and harmony, so
that both sides can work for mutual benefit.
In Chinese business culture, negotiation
depends on creating long-term relationships.
For example, final negotiations and
agreements are often reached outside of
meetings, in informal settings such as
restaurants and bars.

NEGOTIATION STYLE:
The Chinese term for negotiation, so pan,
RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING combines two characters that mean
"negotiate" and "judge". From the Chinese
ORIENTED point of view, the negotiations are
mechanisms to create trust and harmony, so
that both sides can work for mutual benefit.
In Chinese business culture, negotiation
depends on creating long-term relationships.
For example, final negotiations and
agreements are often reached outside of
meetings, in informal settings such as
restaurants and bars.

 For many Chinese, this interpersonal style of negotiation is

preferable to contract-based negotiations. They prefer to foster
long-lasting collaborative relationships rather than efficient and
punctual negotiations. For example, they are in favor of
maintaining correspondence over time and sending seasonal gifts
and greeting cards to maintain relationships.

As part of this long-term focus on business relationships, they

generally want to know a lot about their partners in order to
build the trust and loyalty necessary to maintain business in the
future. You may find that many of the details and questions they
ask are unrelated to the point at hand, but try to be patient and
provide answers for the good of the business relationship.

09
 Reciprocity
Business in China is largely based on reciprocity of favors.
Once a good business relationship is established, the
Chinese are likely to willingly do something for you with
the assumption that you will return the favor later.

The idea of ​reciprocity is interconnected with guanxi,

which are relationships that can also lead to the
exchange of connections or favors that benefit both
people. Guanxi usually refers to the “network of
contacts”, which is reflected in the Chinese saying “nei
wai you bie” (“those on the inside are different from
those on the outside”).

 02
Mutual trust is essential for guanxi. In turn, many
Chinese prioritize building relationships, especially
in the business context.

The guanxi principle engages friends, family, and

sometimes business partners to help each other.
Guanxi plays an important role in business
interactions and relationships. Good guanxi can
sometimes be necessary to create opportunities
that would not otherwise be accessible.

Guanxi can manifest itself in nepotism, whereby

family members or friends can be hired for jobs. In
Chinese corporate culture, nepotism is common
and is seen as ensuring the trust and safety of
employees.

 02
Mutual trust is essential for guanxi. In turn, many
Chinese prioritize building relationships, especially
in the business context.

The guanxi principle engages friends, family, and

sometimes business partners to help each other.
Guanxi plays an important role in business
interactions and relationships. Good guanxi can
sometimes be necessary to create opportunities
that would not otherwise be accessible.

Guanxi can manifest itself in nepotism, whereby

family members or friends can be hired for jobs. In
Chinese corporate culture, nepotism is common
and is seen as ensuring the trust and safety of
employees.

 APPOINTMENTS AND MEETING

PLACES
The process of making a business appointment requires
a series of conditions that must be
be given to bring to fruition the working meetings with
Chinese businessmen.

·Requesting an appointment is mandatory and it is

recommended to do it one or two months in advance,
preferably in writing
·Punctuality is considered a virtue so it is very
important to arrive at least 30 minutes before the
indicated time. Punctuality is synonymous with
respect and trust.
·Being late is considered an insult and can negatively
impact the expected outcome during the meeting. If
for any reason you are going to be late, notify your
counterpart in advance, explaining the reasons

03
 APPOINTMENTS AND MEETING
PLACES
The process of making a business appointment requires
a series of conditions that must be
be given to bring to fruition the working meetings with
Chinese businessmen.

·Requesting an appointment is mandatory and it is

recommended to do it one or two months in advance,
preferably in writing
·Punctuality is considered a virtue so it is very
important to arrive at least 30 minutes before the
indicated time. Punctuality is synonymous with
respect and trust.
·Being late is considered an insult and can negatively
impact the expected outcome during the meeting. If
for any reason you are going to be late, notify your
counterpart in advance, explaining the reasons

03


·The Chinese are in the habit of inviting

their counterpart to lunch or dinner in a
restaurant, in order to finalize the last
points of the negotiation or to celebrate
the closing of the agreement. I arrived
on time. Wait to be told where to sit, as
in business meetings, there is usually a
seat of honor for the guest.
The Chinese are not given to inviting a
stranger to their home for lunch or
dinner. They will always prefer a
restaurant. If you are invited to the
home of a Chinese, consider this
gesture a great honor. If you cannot
accept the invitation, explain the
circumstances why he will not attend so
that this action is not taken as a slight.
The ideal is to attend it without qualms.
LOCKER ROOM
Large metropolises such as Beijing and
Shanghai are more formal in business
clothing than in medium-sized and small
cities where informality and practicality
prevail. In cities like Guangzhou, due to its
hot and humid climate, you can do without
a tie. If the meetings are with managers or
public officials, it is recommended to wear
a formal suit.

If the visit is aimed at touring factories or

production centers, you can dress more
casually. Before traveling, you should
check the climate of the city to be visited in
order to wear the appropriate clothing.
Don't forget that China is a country of
seasons.
 FOR MEN IT IS
RECOMMENDED
Wear dark, conservative colored
suits. Ties are recommended in
neutral colors (shades of blue,
beige, gray). Flashy or showy
colors (orange, red, pink,
fuchsia) should be avoided. It is
accepted to combine a formal
jacket accompanied by sport-
type pants. Lace-up shoes and
classic cut. Very bright colors
should be avoided.

FOR WOMEN IT IS
ADVISABLE Wear discreet suits or dresses. The use of
short skirts is not recommended. The use of
plunging necklines that expose the
shoulders and back should be avoided. The
colors accepted by Chinese culture are the
so-called neutrals (gray, beige, blue).

Avoid using makeup excessively. If jewelry is

used, it should not be very ostentatious
since this condition is not considered a
virtue. Footwear should be flat or low-heeled
due to the conservative and modest
emphasis on women in China. The use of
high heels is accepted only at diplomatic
receptions or a very formal meeting.

 Gifts
BFor the Chinese, giving or receiving details is an
ingrained custom, for this reason it is important to be very
clear about what can and cannot be given away with the
aim of reducing the negative impact that these can cause.

Details are considered a token of gratitude and respect. A

good basket of fruits, sweets or chocolates is a suitable
gift for any occasion. Present the gifts with both hands. It
is common for Chinese not to open gifts immediately, this
can be done at the end of the meeting or in the privacy of
their home or office

Avoid giving away scissors, knives, or other cutting

utensils, as they can indicate or hint at a breakdown in
the relationship. Clocks are associated with death. Not
handkerchiefs or flowers, these are related to funerals

and death.
 Meetings
The agenda should be sent before the
meeting so that your Chinese colleagues
have a chance to meet and discuss it
calmly. Pay attention to the agenda, as
each Chinese participant has their own
topics that they will want to include in
the negotiation.

Visual aids are useful if the rooms and

the number of people are large. They
should be done with black letters on
white backgrounds. Be careful with the
choice of colors, as they can work against
you.

 If Mandarin is not spoken, discuss all aspects of the

agenda with your translator or intermediary before the
presentation in order to reduce misunderstandings. Be
prepared for the agenda program to become a starting
point for other discussions.

Written material must be in English and

Chinese (with simplified characters). You
must be very careful with what is written.
Make sure the translations are accurate. It
is essential to bring your own interpreter
to the meeting, especially if legal or
technical concepts are going to be
discussed which must be discussed prior to
the meeting. Avoid using colloquial
expressions

To drink tea or water will be offered in the first instance. It is not common to
drink coffee. The tea is taken without sugar and there will always be
someone waiting to fill the cup.

Be patient, cell phones ring and are always answered, no matter what
process the meeting is in. Conversations tend to be loud. If you are using an
interpreter, speak by looking at the host and not at the translator.