BusinessEtiquetteandProtocolinChina

　　Relationships&Communication

　　.TheChinesedon'tlikedoingbusinesswithcompaniestheydon'tknow,soworkingthroughanintermediaryiscrucial.Thiscouldbeanindividualoranorganizationwhocanmakeaformalintroductionandvouchforthereliabilityofyourcompany.

　　.BeforearrivinginChinasendmaterials(writteninChinese)thatdescribeyourcompany,itshistory,andliteratureaboutyourproductsandservices.TheChineseoftenuseintermediariestoaskquestionsthattheywouldprefernottomakedirectly.

　　.BusinessrelationshipsarebuiltformallyaftertheChinesegettoknowyou.

　　.Beverypatient.Ittakesaconsiderableamountoftimeandisboundupwithenormousbureaucracy.

　　.TheChineseseeforeignersasrepresentativesoftheircompanyratherthanasindividuals.

　　.Rankisextremelyimportantinbusinessrelationshipsandyoumustkeeprankdifferencesinmindwhencommunicating.

　　.Genderbiasisnonexistentinbusiness.

　　.Neverlosesightofthefactthatcommunicationisofficial,especiallyindealingwithsomeoneofhigherrank.Treatingthemtooinformally,especiallyinfrontoftheirpeers,maywellruinapotentialdeal.

　　.TheChinesepreferface-to-facemeetingsratherthanwrittenortelephoniccommunication.

　　.Mealsandsocialeventsarenottheplaceforbusinessdiscussions.ThereisademarcationbetweenbusinessandsocializinginChina,sotrytobecarefulnottointertwinethetwo.

　　BusinessMeetingEtiquette

　　.Appointmentsarenecessaryand,ifpossible,shouldbemadebetweenone-to-twomonthsinadvance,preferablyinwriting.

　　.Ifyoudonothaveacontactwithinthecompany,useanintermediarytoarrangeaformalintroduction.Oncetheintroductionhasbeenmade,youshouldprovidethecompanywithinformationaboutyourcompanyandwhatyouwanttoaccomplishatthemeeting.

　　.Youshouldarriveatmeetingsontimeorslightlyearly.TheChineseviewpunctualityasavirtue.Arrivinglateisaninsultandcouldnegativelyaffectyourrelationship

　　.PaygreatattentiontotheagendaaseachChineseparticipanthashisorherownagendathattheywillattempttointroduce.

　　.SendanagendabeforethemeetingsoyourChinesecolleagueshavethechancetomeetwithanytechnicalexpertspriortothemeeting.Discusstheagendawithyourtranslator/intermediarypriortosubmission.

　　.Eachparticipantwilltakeanopportunitytodominatethefloorforlengthyperiodswithoutappearingtosayverymuchofanythingthatactuallycontributestothemeeting.Bepatientandlisten.Therecouldbesubtlemessagesbeingtransmittedthatwouldassistyouinallayingfearsofon-goingassociation.

　　.Meetingsrequirepatience.Mobilephonesringfrequentlyandconversationstendtobeboisterous.NeverasktheChinesetoturnofftheirmobilephonesasthiscausesyoubothtoloseface.

　　.Guestsaregenerallyescortedtotheirseats,whichareindescendingorderofrank.Seniorpeoplegenerallysitoppositeseniorpeoplefromtheotherside.

　　.Itisimperativethatyoubringyourowninterpreter,especiallyifyouplantodiscusslegalorextremelytechnicalconceptsasyoucanbrieftheinterpreterpriortothemeeting.

　　.WrittenmaterialshouldbeavailableinbothEngli