A short guide for expatriates living and working in Shanghai, 2003

1. A Short Guide for Expatriates
Living and Working in
Shanghai

2. Chi nese Puzzl es – Int roduct i on
There is no straightforward formula for foreign
business(wo)men and their families to succeed in China.
Pretending otherwise risks failing in business and/or
private relationships. Thus, each old China hand will
advise green-horns differently, according to their
personal experience of what works or not. However,
such advice doesn’t, but should, come with the health
warning that “one man’s meat is another man’s poison”.
So:
lesson 1: seek a second opinion, then a third from
a Chinese person, and finally a fourth from
someone who really knows, understands and is
A private audience with
respected by both sides
Rt Hon Sir Edward Heath
Beijing, September 1998
lesson 2: beware of self-styled “China experts”, or
“consultants” - i.e. anecdotally, but sometimes
true, expatriates who ve been in or visited China for
30 minutes, or longer than you, respectively!
Andrew and Eileen Williamson have spent many years
abroad, first as language students and then working with
Commercial Union and the British Council respectively.
In that spirit, rather than waste time regurgitating the
In the late 1990s, they were posted to Beijing, when
time-worn advice repeated in the plethora of books on
Andrew was appointed CU’s Director and Chief
China (see Page 37: Bibliography), we prefer to offer
Representative for China, and where Eileen joined the
personal insights, based on our and others successes
local staff of the British Council. In recognition of his
and failures
services, Andrew was appointed Visiting Professor of
Insurance by the then Shanghai Finance College. Now
semi-retired, following the merger of CU and GA, they try
Do not underestimate the Chinese … we still have
to keep up-to-date their links with China
much to learn from them
Chi nese Puzzl es - Index
Page
01 Brief History 20 Dogs
02 Opium Wars 22 Giving Gifts
04 China for Business 23 Health and Hygiene
05 China for Pleasure 25 Maids
07 Accommodation 28 Meeting and Greeting
08 Avoid 29 Negotiating
09 Banqueting 31 Recreation
11 Business Meetings 32 Support Services
13 Climate and Clothing 33 Transport
15 Communications 35 Work Practices
16 Cost of Living 36 Notes
17 Cultural Differences 37 Bibliography
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Minim Consulting isthe trading partnership of Andrew and Eileen Williamson

3. Chi nese Puzzl es Bri ef H i st o ry
221BC The first Chi’in Emperor begins to build the Great 1908 Death of Dowager Empress Tz’u Hsi, the last
Wall of China in order to keep out northern effective Manchu Ruler. Her fierce repression of
barbarians. During his reign, 1200 miles are built. change leads to the Boxer Rising against
In later centuries, it stretches 1500 miles. It is 25ft foreigners, and to the downfall of the Manchus. In
high, with watchtowers every 200 yards 1912, China becomes a republic, and the 2000-
year rule of the dynasties is over
1930 Missionary Gladys Aylward spends her life savings
going to China, gets a job campaigning against the
foot-binding of women, and set us the Inn of the
Sixth Happiness orphanage
995AD The Chinese invent printing with movable type.
Their tradition of innovation is long: in about
1000AD they also invented gunpowder; and the
magnetic compass, a giant leap forward in
navigation
1274 Marco Polo reaches Kublai Khan’s court in China.
He described paper money, paddle-boats and a
black stone which burns: coal. He is away from his
Venice home for 25 years. When he returns a
millionaire is called the “Man of a Million Lies”
1966 Cultural Revolution – student “Red Guards”,
1725 The Manchu emperor Yongzheng commissions the waving Mao Tse Tung s Little Red Book, hunt out
largest encyclopaedia ever, with 10,000 chapters. bourgeois ideologies, humiliate intellectuals, and
The Complete Works of the Four Treasuries is still riot. Thousands die in the violence
consulted today. Scholars researching it also
destroyed all books considered harmful to the
empire 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. 100,000 students
demonstrate for democratic reforms. Tanks are
sent in. One image goes around the world: a lone
1839-60 Opium Wars (see Pages 02-03: Opium Wars) demonstrator defies, on his own, a line of tanks
1873 Taiping Revolution – the most bloody civil war in
history. Its leader, Hing Xiuquan, believes himself
to be the brother of Jesus Christ. Infuriated at
failing the Civil Service entrance exam, he rebels
against the Manchu Emperor. Between 20 and 30
million people are killed
2001 China successfully bids to host the 2008 Olympic
Games; and joins the World Trade Organisation
th
Source: Daily Mail Weekend Supplement, 9 June 2001
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Minim Consulting isthe trading partnership of Andrew and Eileen Williamson “Chinese Puzzles” – Page 01

4. Chi nese Puzzl es Opi um W ars
Fi rst Opi um W ar ( 1839- 1842) The A dvance o n Peki ng
The wealth of China is used to profit the Mutual ignorance between the two sides was
barbarians. By what right do they send the almost total. In the first place, the Chinese thought
poisonous drug opium to injure the Chinese they were adequately armed with their matchlock
people? So wrote the Chinese official Lin Tse- muskets which fired not by pulling a trigger but
Hsu to Queen Victoria, protesting at the opium by applying a lighted match and swords and
trade which was making a fortune for her empire, pikes. They were astonished and traumatised by
and enslaving the nation of China – through western weapons, as when a single rocket from a
addiction – in the process. It is not known if Her British warship burned their admiral s junk and
Majesty ever read the letter, but Lin Tse-Hsu was killed all on board. The Chinese leaders also gave
ordered by his Emperor to stamp out the opium their men not-very-sound advice about fighting the
trade. So he seized opium from British ships, and British. You have to deal with a people who wear
disposed of it in trenches of salt and lime along the breeches so tight that once the soldiers fall they
sea coast. He was rewarded with an exquisitely cannot get up by themselves. Paint your faces as
prepared dinner of roebuck venison, a message fantastically as possible, and make the most
signifying “Promotion Assured”, and a hand- hideous grimaces to frighten them and make them
painted silk scroll from the Emperor. But it did him tumble down. Yet the misconceptions on the
little good. In reprisal for the destroyed opium, the British side were almost as great. The Chinese
despised “Foreign Devils” waged the first Opium general was San Ko-lin-sin which led British
War (1839-1842), defeated the Chinese, and soldiers to believe their enemy was led by a
grabbed a lease on Hong Kong as a reward. “You renegade Irishman named Sam Collinson
have caused this war by your excessive zeal”,
wrote a furious Emperor to Lin Tse-Hsu. “Now a
thousand unending problems are sprouting…” Lin
ended his life in exile
S co nd Opi um W ar ( 1856- 1860 )
e The S m m er Pal ace
u
Still the Chinese resisted the opium trade. The The British called it the Summer Palace; the
second Opium War began in 1856; it led to the Chinese called it the Yuan Ming Yuan, the Garden
burning of the Summer Palace in 1860. First, of Perfect Brightness. It was the seat of Imperial
British and French troops advanced to the capital; government, and a pleasure palace. Five
in charge of the British contingent was Lord Elgin Emperors of the Manchu dynasty had successively
the son of the Elgin who took the marbles from the embellished it over more than 150 years. It was a
Parthenon in Greece. On the march, the bodies of massive complex, 3000 structures all together,
18 European envoys who had been sent ahead to museum, storehouse, palace, all in one. The main
Peking to negotiate were returned to the advancing Imperial residence was built on nine artificial
troops. They had clearly been tortured before their islands to signify the Nine Realms of the Empire;
deaths. Then a British soldier, Private Moyes of within lay the Courtyard of Universal Happiness;
the Buffs, was captured and refused to kow tow adjoining was The Stone for Repose by the
(bow) before the Chinese; for that, he was Stream. One pavilion was called Peace and
beheaded. These were the reasons that Elgin was Harmony in Ten Thousand Directions. It was
to give for the burning of the Summer Palace. It shaped like a swastika, the Chinese symbol for
was not an act of vengeance, but of justice and the 10000. There were bridges, straight, crooked, zig-
least objectionable of the courses open to me , he zag, humped; there were tea-houses and summer-
said. History, and even his own conscience, it houses. There were also extraordinary elements
seems, would not judge it that way of fantasy in its 850 acres. Eunuchs toiled as
pretend farmers, pretend shopkeepers and pretend
thieves in a miniature pretend village built to
complete the view
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5. The Loo t i ng The Inferno
The Emperor fled the advancing barbarians the It was the French who began the looting. It was
British. The Summer Palace itself was protected the British who ordered the palace to be burned. It
only by a small force of eunuch guards. Yet one was a clear, still autumn day; soon a black pall of
English soldier was astonished to find the French smoke rose and hung in the cloudless sky. “There
general, Montauban, already there. He was sitting were soldiers with their heads in red lacquer-boxes
on the floor of the Emperor s throne-room, from the Empress’ chamber,” wrote a witness;
surrounded by a litter of curios, sorting them into “others were wreathed in masses of brocade and
different piles as present for Queen Victoria and silks; some stuffed rubies, sapphire and crystal into
Napoleon III. Sent to Europe were jade their pockets; and hung their necks with pearl
ornaments, statues and carvings; a water clock necklaces. Other hugged clocks and clock-cases.
with brass heads of oxen and monkeys; vases Every now and again the cry of ‘Fire’ rang out; the
commissioned by the Emperors. English soldiers flames were licking the sumptuous walls padded
joined the looting; so did the Chinese peasantry with silks and damasks and furs. It was like a
outside “a scrum of all the races of the world scene from an opium dream”
hurrying, pushing, cursing, returning laden with
their loot …” wrote an onlooker. Clocks, scroll
paintings, the poems written by the Emperor on The A ft erm at h
silken screens, all went; men hacked the faces off
jewelled clocks, believing the quartz numbers to be
made of diamond. A small Pekinese dog was
The burning destroyed for ever the prestige of the
found and pocketed, sent to London and presented
Manchu Emperors. Bloody civil war broke out.
to Queen Victoria. She called it Lootie, and it
Then at the turn of the century came the Society of
survived for many years
the Righteous and Harmonious Fists known as
the Boxers. In a last fling of the old regime, the
Manchu Dowager Empress tried to manipulate the
Boxers to massacre foreigners in China. When
that, too, failed, the Manchus were finished and
China descended into an anarchy of squabbling
warlords. The Summer Palace, meanwhile,
became a ruin picked over by peasants for
whatever they could find. A poem described the
fate of its treasures, and the ruin of China:
A rare book from the Song dynasty
Lies in an old woman s basket;
On the wall of a herdsboy s hut
Hangs a valuable painting.
Ask not the fate of scriptures
Written on precious leaves;
For have not even the pages
Of the Encyclopaedia of the Four Treasuries
Been scattered to the Four Winds?
Source: Daily Mail Weekend Supplement, 9th June 2001
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6. Chi nese Puzzl es Chi na for Busi ness
1. Banqueting: if you haven t a strong stomach, 7. Interpreters and Drivers: besides being status
ask for another posting! Food in the PRC, symbols, interpreters and drivers may enjoy
especially when still alive, barely resembles that close, even intimate, relationships with their
served in Western Chinese restaurants. When principals and wield influence in their own right.
in doubt, don t ask: it may be better not to know Especially if younger and of the opposite sex,
what you re eating. And if your host serves you ensure your relationship with them is above
directly, even from his plate … grin and swallow! reproach: some male drivers consider foreign
- to refuse is an insult females fair game
2. Face: well documented in the standard 8. Laobanism: the boss ( laoban ) is always right.
textbooks, face is so important to the Chinese That s why he s the boss: otherwise he wouldn t
that your local staff may care more about their be, even if only by virtue of being older. Thus:
own face than that of foreigners, and try to save your local staff may stand by and watch you
face at your expense. And remember: no is a make all the mistakes in the book and lose face,
no-no whilst ensuring they do not lose their own
3. Favours: don t ask your host for favours he can t 9. Meetings: don t remind your Chinese host what
deliver (see above: Face) which explains why you ve already done for him, or tell him what
meetings can only ever be arranged at the you re going to do for him or want him to do for
eleventh hour, when he knows that his diary is you. Besides revealing your hand, this
free (besides being his way of showing who s demonstrates a total disregard for his need and
boss). Conversely: don t make rash promises face (see above: Face). Even worse: don t tell
you can t keep or have no intention of keeping: a him what he needs and that you ve got the
light-hearted invitation to look you up next time solution. Rather: find out what he needs and
he s in London could cost you an airfare & hotel what you could do to help him; and then sell
bill for an unexpected mini-delegation your product or service as the solution. Make
your solution his idea
4. Gifts: when in doubt, consult your Chinese
advisors, for whom exchanging the right gifts 10. Privacy: some Chinese especially from large
may be the most important task in planning a or poorly educated families have little concept
delegation or meeting of personal space, which is alien to their home
experience. Thus: beware of maids who try to
clean the bathroom while you re using it or join
5. Guanxi: a cross between the old boy network your coffee mornings; and girl-friends who offer
and Newton s Cradle, and despite being well to accompany Western ladies to the toilet!
documented elsewhere, guanxi defies
definition. To build it is difficult; to destroy it is
easy. For example: if you continue to meet a 11. Sex: rather than being jealous, pity the gullibility
friend of a friend, keep the latter informed and of the many elderly Western men in international
appear grateful, otherwise he could turn the hotel lobbies sporting trophy Chinese girls on
former against you their arms: all these want is a passport to the
West. By the same token: beware of the maids
who approach the husband while the wife is
6. Interpreters: even if you speak Chinese, take away. If married, take your spouse with you to
your own interpreter to meetings, rather than rely China: otherwise, we ve seen too many
on your host s: otherwise, he may consider marriages fail
you re not senior enough to warrant one and,
therefore, not his equal. Don t assume your host
needs an interpreter and make sotto voce 12. When all else fails: be patient! To quote Milton
comments to your colleagues: many senior out of context: He also serves, who only sits
Chinese have studied abroad. Avoid and waits
interpreters who not only misinterpret but also
have their own say: by including another
Chinese speaker in your delegation who can Source: Minim Consulting, based on personal experience
intervene
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7. Chi nese Puzzl es Chi na f or Pl easure
Po pul at i o n Rel i gi o n
China is the world s most populated country with Confucius (born in 551 BC) is the greatest
1.266 billion people living on 9.6 million square influence on Chinese ethics, emphasising family
kilometres of land. Only just bigger than the USA, loyalty. Buddhism is widespread, and has
st
China has almost five times as many inhabitants. diverged from its 1 century AD Indian roots. It is
The people are of many different nationalities (over also distinct In Tibet from the rest of China.
56), some living in remote areas such as Mongolia Taoism, stressing mysticism and promising
and Tibet. It helps, therefore, to think of China as immortality, was repressed during the 1960 s
a collection of countries, like Europe Cultural Revolution
Roman Catholicism, although state-controlled,
One Chi ld Po l i cy flourishes but can cost its followers their livelihood.
Foreigners may attend local churches, but Chinese
Feeding so many people is a problem. One
are banned from foreign Christian meetings on
solution is to restrict married couples to having
pain of these being outlawed. Evangelists are
only one child, with severe penalties for additional
prohibited and subject to extradition. The State
or illegitimate children. As a result, there are a lot
demands allegiance to itself before God or the
of spoilt only children in China, nicknamed little
Pope
emperors . For example: a Chinese newspaper
reported recently that young Chinese soldiers
could not look after themselves, such as make
their beds; and the Daily Mail, that they cannot tie
shoe-laces
Cl i mat e
China lies on a similar latitude to the USA and its
climate varies just as much. The north is a dry
plain, with very cold winters; whilst the south is Tiananmen Square, Beijing
lush green. In the whole country, summers are
hot and humid; and spring is unpredictable. The
best time of year, therefore, is the autumn To uri sm
H i st o ry China is rapidly becoming a centre for tourists
keen on seeing her many historic sights, especially
China is a very old country, with a 5000 year-old the Great Wall, 6000 kilometres long, which was
civilisation that boasts the invention of paper, built over 1000 years ago in an unsuccessful
printing, gunpowder & the compass. In Chinese, attempt to keep out northern invaders. The Wall is
China means Middle Kingdom , signifying that it claimed to be the only man-made structure visible
is the centre of the world. Thus, the first of the two from space. Another favourite tourist attraction are
Chinese characters for China is a square with a the Terracotta Warriors, a life-size army of clay
vertical line through it, like a globe on its axis figures built to guard the tomb of the first Qin
th emperor
In the 19 century, China was a popular source of
drugs for European countries, with which she
became embattled in the so-called opium wars .
As a result, Hong Kong was ceded to Great Britain
in 1842, and not handed back to China until 1997
The emperor was deposed in 1911; and then, after
periods of invasion by Japan and internal unrest,
the Communists - winners of the civil war -
founded the modern People s Republic of China on
st
1 October 1949; whilst the losers retreated to the
island of Taiwan and set up a rival regime The Great Wall of China
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8. Travel
Travelling to and within China is not difficult, as
long as you enjoy excitement. Aeroplanes may be
less modern and comfortable than in Europe, but
at least their pilots are first-class. Trains are the
best way to see the countryside, especially for
those with time on their hands to travel between
Beijing and Moscow or Hong Kong. Cruises along
the Yangtze River are a popular means of A Plumber s Shop, Guangzhou (Canton)
exploring inland China. In the cities, besides
buses, taxis are abundant and cheap but driven
erratically; with plenty of pedicabs and rickshaws H o usi ng, S ho o l i ng and H o spi t als
c
for tourists. The number of private cars is steadily
growing; and, in cities such as Shanghai and In many cities, foreigners may still be required to
Guangzhou (Canton), they now compete with live in specially designated housing-compounds or
motorcycles for road-space apartment-blocks. This also applies to mixed
King of the road is the bicycle, the most popular marriages: if the wife is Chinese, her Western
make being the “flying pigeon”. Wherever you go husband may not be allowed to live in local
in China, there are hundreds upon thousands of housing but have to move with her to a foreign
cyclists, supposedly in special cycle lanes as big compound. There is, however, some consolation:
as roads but usually in the roads themselves, often she may have more than one child. In cities, most
going in the wrong direction and never with lights. Chinese live in tower-blocks, provided for them by
Indeed, cycle lights are illegal: image, if all bicycles their employers; their children attend schools
had lights they would blind the cars! A treasured provided by their parents employer; and all receive
possession, costing a month’s wage, a bicycle is a medical attention from similarly provided hospitals.
means of family transport: the crossbar for the However, this cradle to grave provision by the
child, and the rear parcel-carrier for the wife, even state, nick-named the “iron rice bowl”, is being
when transporting goods to market. One theory phased out to be replaced by greater self-
why Chinese dresses have slits down the side is to sufficiency. At the same time, state-owned
allow ladies to pedal their bicycles! companies are being reformed – another word for
“privatised”. China may have a Communist
political regime, but her economy is slowly
Clo t hi ng becoming capitalist
Young and middle-aged Chinese have adopted
Western dress; whilst many of the older generation Po st S ript
c
still wear Mao style suits, even the women. Bright
colours are favoured for small girls – perhaps to The way to succeed in China is by slowly
make them stand out more, since boys outnumber developing close and lasting personal
girls about 5 to 4. Bright yellow, once the imperial relationships: “guanxi” – rather like the English “old
colour, is popular. Older Chinese are not adverse boy network”. However, failure befalls anyone
to mixing colours which clash by Western using the word “no”
standards
Out and A bo ut
In the main cities, large Western-style department
stores with Western goods jostle with small
Chinese shops selling traditional produce and
products. 5-star international hotels with gourmet
restaurants compete with traditional lodgings and
local eating-places. O’Malley’s Irish Pub, Mac-
Donald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Hard Rock
Café, Pizza Hut etc. abound and attract more
Chinese than Westerners. Whilst visiting
business-persons are treated to banquets of
snake, sea slugs, fish-heads, jelly fish and the like,
their hosts have probably had a Big Mac meal for
lunch costing about £2/US$3! The Middle Kingdom
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Chinese Puzzles Page 0 6 Minim Consulting isthe trading partnership of Andrew and Eileen Williamson

9. The China Syndrome - Accommodation
Introduction New or Old?
This article deals solely with accommodation for Older property may not only have sub-standard
expatriate business(wo)men - since for diplomats electricity, plumbing, heating and gas, but also
and teachers (the other main categories of foreign need constant repair. Hence, it is probably better
workers) accommodation is normally provided in to choose new property, even though standards of
special compounds or by their Chinese employer, construction and finishing may be only superficially
respectively acceptable. Indeed, since most engineering effort
appears to be channelled into building rather than
Availability maintenance, the secret is not to stay around long
enough to watch property decay
In some cities (e.g. Beijing and Shanghai),
expatriates can now live quite legally in Chinese
housing. Nevertheless, foreign tenants whose
landlord refuses to register them - which is not
uncommon, either through ignorance or distrust of
the law – may be summarily evicted by the
municipal authority if discovered during one of its
periodic inspections
In other cities, however, government policy is still Author’s house at Author’s house at
to segregate foreigners from the local population, “Dragon Villas”, Beijing “Greenland Gardens”, Beijing
and make them live in designated properties (e.g.
foreign housing compounds) and “pay through the
Furnished or Unfurnished?
nose”. Thus, a dream cottage in the country or
period house in the city may remain just that – a
Except for hotels and serviced apartments,
dream
property may be rented furnished, hard-furnished
or unfurnished.
Choice
Hard-furnished accommodation should include all
Expatriates may choose from: hotels, aparthotels main white goods (e.g. cooker, fridge, dishwasher,
(i.e. serviced apartments in an hotel), apartments washing machine, tumble dryer), major items of
(serviced or not) and houses (linked and detached) furniture (e.g. lounge, dining and bedroom suites),
with small gardens. Western designs abound, curtains, light fittings and television (linked to the
including European and Spanish villas, Californian compound’s receiver, supplying international
houses and neo-Georgian mansions; all built to foreign-language programmes). Furniture may be
western standards using imported materials (e.g. imported, and of colonial or Mediterranean style
hard-wood floors, Italian tiles and German air- Furnished accommodation should also include
conditioning) – although, in some cases, what microwave, vacuum cleaner, iron, cooking utensils,
constitutes “western” is imaginary rather than real! crockery, glassware, cutlery; and possibly table
linen, bedding, lamps and some occasional
Rent or Purchase? furniture; but probably not carpets, towelling or bed
linen
Although foreigners can purchase property,
restrictions may apply as to what property (e.g. Most purpose-built accommodation for foreigners
detached properties in Shanghai) and/or which has central heating, air-conditioning and two phone
foreigners (e.g. overseas Chinese or Hong Kong lines: one for voice, and the other for fax/data
residents). A further restriction, as a result of the
state ownership of all land, is that property is Furniture
leasehold only and reverts the state after 75 years.
Purchasing automatically confers a permanent Unfurnished accommodation can be fully kitted
residence visa – in theory but not necessarily in out locally, and not just at the main Department
practice, given China’s fluid legal system Stores. Thus, there is really no need to take
anything from the home country, apart from
Given the superficial build quality of unscrupulous personal possessions. For the patient bargain-
developers, and the poor maintenance of unskilled hunter and seasoned haggler, good-quality antique
or unsupervised tradesmen, it is probably better to Chinese furniture - genuine and reproduction - is
rent than purchase readily available at acceptable prices, and makes
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10. The China Syndrome - Accommodation
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excellent “souvenirs” back home at the end of the Accommodation
posting (subject to export restrictions – see below)
The alternatives range from: Purpose-built houses for foreigners often include:
master bedroom with en-suite bathroom (with two
¾ locally-made plush, ornate, even gaudy new
handbasins, shower and bath), family bedrooms
furniture of varying quality and price, in an
and bathroom, lounge, dining room, family room,
attempt to emulate Western taste; through …
study (converted bedroom), kitchen, utility room,
¾ imported or locally-made tasteful, if expensive, maid’s quarters, garage, balcony and storage area
copies of colonial furniture, suitably - and (attic or basement)
thankfully sometimes optionally - “distressed”
or “aged” (e.g. in the “public” rooms); to … To protect the wooden floors (if your house has
them): insist that everyone enters via the hall, and
¾ locally-made simple yet attractive, acceptable
provide an assortment of “flip-flop” type slippers in
and some even hard-wearing modern Chinese
different sizes for them to change into
furniture (e.g. in the “non-public” rooms)
An alternative source of reasonably-priced good-
quality household goods and furniture are Dining Room
departing expatriates, who advertise in the various
foreign-language magazines and/or on the notice Lounge
boards in foreign housing compounds and/or
supermarkets in Western-style hotels
Kitchen Garage
In other words: “you pays your money and you
takes your pick” Hall
For example: to furnish his unfurnished house with Maid
a mixture of all the above, including antiques, the
author was given a budget of US$30,000 (in 1998)
Author s house at Greenland Gardens , Beijing - Floor 0
Bed
Room
Balcony
Family
Galleried Room
Landing
Study
Inside the author s house at Dragon Villas , Beijing
City Centre or Suburbs? Author s house at Greenland Gardens , Beijing - Floor 1
In choosing whether to live in the city centre or the
suburbs, the arguments for and against each must
be weighed up:
Main
Location City Centre Suburbs Bedroom Bedroom
Convenience Quality of life
(i.e. proximity to (e.g. fresh air and Dressing Landing
For
work & school) green spaces) Room
Amenities Cheaper Balcony
Travel time and
Noise
traffic congestion
Against
Pollution Isolation
Expensive Lack of amenities Author s house at Greenland Gardens , Beijing - Floor 2
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11. The China Syndrome - Accommodation
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Status the developer to comply once the residents are
installed
The status (i.e. type, location, size, furnishing etc.) A word of warning about shuttle-buses: some of
of your accommodation may not only reflect your their drivers are the worst in the world
own worth to your employer but also - and more
importantly - be interpreted by others (Chinese and The estate management normally has an army of
foreigners alike) as an indicator of your employer’s tradesmen and gardeners of indifferent ability at
worth as a business its disposal: thus, do not be surprised if your lawn
is cut by a small platoon using hand-shears!
In other words: just as you are an “ambassador”
for your employer, so is your accommodation its Rentals
“residence”
It is important, therefore, that your accommodation Rentals tend to be for a minimum of 12 months,
should correctly reflect your employer’s worth, and renewable annually. Shorter periods may be
in relation to accommodation provided by other available at a premium; whilst longer terms may
comparable employers (e.g. not significantly much provide for earlier termination. A security deposit
larger and/or more ornate than theirs) is required, normally equal to 3 months rent (but
may be less for unfurnished accommodation).
For example: the author had to submit to his Head
Rent is not normally negotiable, though extras may
Office details of accommodation provided by other
be (e.g. club membership); and is payable in
leading Western insurance companies
advance, monthly or quarterly, usually in US$.
Unfurnished accommodation may be cheaper than
Security furnished, but not necessarily; and suburban rents
than in the city
Foreign compounds are normally very safe places,
being surrounded by a perimeter fence or wall with Despite the greater choice and quality of
security guards at the entrance gate and patrolling accommodation, expatriates may still be expected
the grounds. Additionally, individual properties to pay exorbitant rents for the following reasons:
may be fitted with intercom entry-phones, burglar ¾ They constitute a captive-market of wealthy
alarms, security locks and strong entry-doors; and clients (see next point) chasing a finite supply
occupants, drivers and maids required to carry ID of good quality Western-style accommodation
cards. Nevertheless, burglaries and attacks do – although supply is now catching up with
occur occasionally; for which reason it is advisable demand
keep valuables in a locked cupboard (if not install a ¾ Expatriate executives are perceived as being
safe) and carry a personal alarm or mobile phone, sufficiently affluent to afford high rents –
respectively. Also, remember to reclaim keys and particularly those whose accommodation costs
ID cards when dispensing with the services of are known or assumed to be borne by their
maids and drivers; and that the landlord and estate employer
management probably have spare keys for
tradesmen to carry out maintenance and repairs, ¾ Real estate in Beijing and Shanghai is
not always with the occupants’ knowledge amongst the most expensive in the world -
although prices are gradually falling, as supply
Since most landlords allow pets (subject to local catches up with demand and in the wake of the
laws) and many Chinese are unaccustomed to and Asian crisis
so afraid of them, dogs are an excellent deterrent,
for whom gardens may be fairly easily secured According to Colliers Jardine, average rentals per
2 nd
metre /month during the 2 quarter of 2002 were:
Other “unwelcome visitors” include winged insects,
which are best deterred by fitting fly-screens Average Luxury Luxury Service
Rent per Residential Apart- Apart-
2
Facilities m /Month Market ments ments
Beijing US$ 23 US$23 US$ 30
Foreign compounds and apartment-blocks often Shanghai US$ 17
claim to include: shops (e.g. western supermarket,
hair- dresser, clothing), restaurant (Chinese and Utilities
western), bar, clubhouse or recreational facilities
(e.g. tennis, swimming, snooker, ten-pin bowling), Utilities (i.e. electricity, gas, water, telephone) and
child-minding facilities. Before moving in, ensure service charges (e.g. management, cleaning,
that such claims are true: there is less incentive for gardening, waste disposal, use of communal
Page A3

12. The China Syndrome - Accommodation
______________________________________________________________________________________
facilities, club membership etc.) are usually ¾ The inspector will allow you to export only
additional to, and not included in, the rental; and those items that (s)he deems than 150 years
may be payable in RMB or US$ old - marking such items with a read wax seal
Ensure that all utilities are connected and working and noting them on a Bureau of Antiquities
before, and as condition of, moving in since there Export Permit
is less incentive for the landlord to comply once the ¾ Unless you can persuade the inspector
tenant is installed. In particular, check that the otherwise, (s)he will NOT allow you to export
mains gas and water pressures are sufficient to items deemed older than 150 years, also
meet peak demand (e.g. Sunday lunch and noting them on the same Export Permit
summer, respectively). Be aware that electric
¾ A fee is payable for the inspection (the author
plugs and sockets come in various shapes and
paid RMB 150) plus a variable amount
sizes (but normally 5-amp 2-pin flat); and stock up
between RMB 5 and RMB 40 (approximately)
on locally-available adaptors. Use only the most
per read wax seal
expensive plugs, sockets, adapters and wiring as
also being the safest. The supply is 220 volts, 50 ¾ You should retain the Export Permit for
cycles AC. As to drinking water: tap water is not customs clearance purposes
drinkable; but most estate managers can organise
regular deliveries of carboys which, for ease of
use, should be connected to a freestanding
hot/cold dispenser
From figures published by FPD Savills, utility costs
in Beijing during the 1st quarter of 2002 averaged:
Electricity RMB 0.75 per kwh
Gas RMB 2.30 per m3
Cold Water RMB 2.50 per ton
Hot Water RMB 7.35 per ton
Heating RMB 6.70 per m2
Restrictions on Exporting Antique Furniture
In order to ship home any antiques that you
purchase in China, you will need to arrange for
them to be inspected by the Antiquities Bureau,
as follows:
¾ (Ask a Chinese-speaking person to) contact
the Bureau about four to six weeks before your
removal date. In Beijing, their telephone
number is +86 10 6401 4608
¾ Before the inspection, ensure you have: Author s Export Permit
1. a letter from your employer, in Chinese,
Moving Notices and Name Cards
confirming the dates of your arrival in and
departure from China
In China, a change of address card is usually
2. your passport or residence card called a moving notice ; and, when appropriately
3. the corresponding receipts. (While not designed, can also serve as a personal name card
necessary, a low value may persuade the For example: the author’s (see below) was:
inspector that an item is too cheap to be a
prohibited item) ¾ made of card
4. RMB cash for the inspection and ¾ the size of a compliments slip, so that it fitted
certification fees easily into a standard business envelope
¾ divided by a vertical perforation into two
¾ Arrange (for your driver) to bring the inspector
to your home, and hand over the letter from unequal portions (say 75% and 25%) – the
your employer; and afterwards return him/her larger serving as the notice per se; the smaller
to the Bureau as a (detachable) name card
Page A4

13. The China Syndrome - Accommodation
______________________________________________________________________________________
¾ printed on both sides: one in English, the other Help!
in Chinese
¾ illustrated on the back of the name card portion To make sense of all the options and reach the
with a sketch map, in English and Chinese, of optimum decision, it is advisable to retain the
where he lived services of an estate agent (normally for a fee of
one month s rent); and talk to other expatriates,
especially about the service level of the estate
management
Some estate agents (and removal companies) also
offer relocation services, such as country
briefing, cultural orientation and a local induction
programme
Removal Companies
Beijing Crown Worldwide
Room 201
West Tower
Golden Bridge Building
A1 Jianguomenwai Dajie
Beijing 100020
Tel: +86 10 6585 0640
Fax: +86 10 6585 0648
E-Mail: beijing@crownrelo.com
Web: www.crownworldwide.com
Shanghai Crown Worldwide
Room 6303-6305
Rui Jin Business Centre
No. 118 Rui Jin Er Road
Author s change of address and personal name card Shanghai 200020
- front (top) and back (above) Tel: +86 21 6472 0254
Fax: +86 21 6472 0255
The purpose of such an arrangement is to: E-Mail: shanghai@crownrelo.com
¾ notify Chinese and non-Chinese speakers of Web: www.crownworldwide.com
your new address
¾ provide both with directions for taxi-drivers,
who may not be familiar with areas primarily Estate Agents
inhabited by foreigners
Beijing Colliers Jardine
¾ allow non-Chinese correspondents to stick a 1606 Capital Mansion
photocopy of the Chinese version on their mail 6 Xin Yuan Nan Road
to you, which the local postal workers can read Chaoyang District
Beijing 100004
Should you move without knowing your new Tel: +86 10 8486 3099
permanent address (e.g. when you arrive in China, Fax: +86 10 8486 3789
or move from one city to another, or return home), E-Mail: Amanda_Goa@cj-group.com
distribute cards with at least your mobile phone Web: www.colliersjardine.com.cn
number and e-mail address - for example:
FPD Savills
415 East Wing Office
China World Trade Centre
1 Jianguomenwai Dajie
Beijing 100004
Tel: +86 10 6505 2348
Fax: +86 10 6505 2356
E-mail: mpurefoy@fpdsaviils-bj.com
Web: www.fpdsavills-china.com
Page A5

14. The China Syndrome - Accommodation
______________________________________________________________________________________
Jones Lang LaSalle
Unit 12. 8/F, Tower B
Full Link Plaza
No. 18 Chaoyangmenwai Avenue
Beijing 100020
Tel: +86 10 6588 1300
Fax: +86 10 6588 1330
E-Mail: david.hand
@ap.joneslanglasalle.com
Web: www.joneslanglasalle.com.cn Photos: www.beijingrosegarden.com.cn
Shanghai Colliers Jardine
1881 City Centre Tower B
100 Zun Yi Road
Shanghai 200051
Tel: +86 21 6237 0088
Fax: +86 21 6237 2122
E-Mail: Lin_Wong@cj-group.com
Web: www.colliersjardine.com.cn
Photos: Beijing This Month, May 1998
FPD Savills
Unit 2301-2308
Bibliography
23/F Shanghai Central Plaza
381 Huai Hai Middle Road
Luwan District General China, Lonely Planet Publications,
th
Shanghai 200020 Australia, 7 edition, 2000, pp. 132, 134
Tel: +86 21 6391 6688 China Business Handbook 2002, China
Fax: +86 21 6391 6699 Economic Review, Alain Charles
th
E-mail: rhall@fpdsavills-sh.com Publishing Ltd, 5 edition, London, 2002,
Web: www.fpdsavills-china.com pp. 39, 42, 370-371
Jones Lang LaSalle Culture Shock! China, Kevin Sinclair with
rd
48/f Shanghai Plaza 66 Iris Wong Po-yee, Kuperard, London, 3
1266 Nanjing Rd (West) edition, 1999, pp. 210-211
Jing An District Greater China Property Index, Jones Lang
Shanghai 200040 China LaSalle, China, July 2002, pp. 8, 12
Tel: +86 21 6393 3333 Greater China Residential Market
Fax: +86 21 6393 3080 Overview, Colliers Jardine, China, July
E-Mail: calvin.yang 2002, pp. 3-5
@ap.joneslanglasalle.com
Web: www.joneslanglasalle.com.cn Guide to Household Moving, Crown
Worldwide, Beijing, 1998, pp. 16-17
Living and Working in China, Employment
Examples of Expatriate Compounds in Beijing
Conditions Abroad Limited, UK, 1996, pp.
18-19, 25-28
Living and Working in China, Christina
Hall, How To Books, Plymouth (UK),
1996, pp. 58-63, 92
Beijing Beijing, Lonely Planet Publications,
rd
Australia, 3 edition, 1998, pp. 57, 121
Beijing Scene Guidebook, Beijing Scene
Publishing, USA, 1997, pp. 203-217, 223-
233
Welcome to Beijing, Jones Lang Wootton,
Beijing, 1997. p. 26
Shanghai Shanghai, Lonely Planet Publications,
st
Australia, 1 edition, 2001, pp. 70, 136
Information correct as at August 2002
Page A6

15. The China Syndrome - Accommodation
______________________________________________________________________________________
Appendix
Author’s Shipping List
Apart from clothes and other personal items such The list comprises items that are:
as anyone would take on holiday, the author s ¾ personal (e.g. photographs)
family flew the following items to China on several
flights, and was only once charged for excess ¾ difficult or impossible to obtain locally (e.g.
baggage: picture hooks)
¾ available locally but of poor quality (e.g. potato
peeler)
________________________________________
Kitchen ________________________________________
Lounge
Cafetiere Cake tins Books Cassettes
Cheese board Cheese knife CDs Games
Ice-cream scoop Iron (steam) Hearth Rug Ornaments (small)
Meat charger Meat Roasting tin Photographs, pictures Picture hooks
Milk jug ) stainless Potato peeler & certificates (all framed) Video player and Videos
Sugar bowl ) steel Tea strainer ________________________________________
Thermos bag Tin opener Hobbies
Trays
Music stands & scores Fishing tackle
________________________________________
Dining Room Violin
________________________________________
Post Script
Candlesticks Coasters
Cutlery Meat carvers
Note: It was impossible to rent or purchase a
Napkin rings Tablemats decent upright piano at a reasonable
________________________________________ price; for which reason the author s wife
Other had to contend with a locally manufactured
good-quality electronic keyboard
Barbecue utensils Cable clips
Desk set Garden games On the other hand, it was possible to
purchase a top-quality drum-kit for the
Racquets (squash & tennis)
author s son at a reasonable price
Page A7

16. Chi nese Puzzl es – A voi d
Tabo o S bj ect s
u 6. DO NOT:
a. Ask: “Have you got children?” In our
1. Chinese people may be genuinely offended if you experience, even the most Westernised Chinese
criticise Mao (or other party leaders, dead or alive), may find this question funny, and laugh in your
the government, or anything to do with politics face at your ignorance of the one-child policy.
Instead, say: “Have you got a child?” or even
¡
However: Do not be surprised or caught off “Have you got a son?”. Be prepared for
guard or tempted if they criticise them to you! boasting about a son, and lamenting over a
Especially Mao’s alleged penchant for large daughter
female tractor drivers! Or the spoilt only-sons or b. Say “no” (see Page 28: Meeting and Greeting –
little emperors produced by the one-child policy! paragraphs 11-12)
In our case, the former subject was raised by a
Chinese colleague with whom we had a close c. Preach the Gospel, or invite Chinese to your
relationship; the latter by a very senior Church. Nevertheless, you may mention your
government official, father of a daughter, whom I faith and visit a Chinese Church. Certainly, our
had only just met at a select banquet friends and colleagues asked us about
Christianity and were disappointed they could
not attend our Church, not realising it was
2. They are worried that someone overhears the forbidden. When I declared Good Friday a
conversation and reports it to the party secretary and company holiday, one colleague wanted to
they get into trouble “convert” on the spot! – a modern day example
of a “rice Christian”
3. The person you are talking to may have been sent by
a party official to sound out if you are politically safe S fe S bj ect s
a u
¡
On one occasion, when visiting an academic
institution with our chairman, the host delegation
was led by the institution’s party secretary rather 7. These subjects are safe to talk about:
than the Dean ¡
food, weather, landscapes, sights in China, your
family, their family, money, wealth, income,
4. Subjects to avoid, at least until you have been in careers, non-political literature, hobbies, sport,
China long enough to develop an instinct for what you stamp collecting, holidays and festivals, customs
can say, when and to whom: and traditions, food and cooking, holidays;
entertainment (TV, films, music), clothes
¡
Chinese politics, human rights, Tibet, explicit ¡
When talking about jobs and careers, do not be
sex, boyfriend/girlfriend, violence, drugs; surprised by an apparent inverted social
Tiananmen Square, Taiwan hierarchy (in Western terms). For example:
¡
We were very surprised, only a few days after whilst practising conversational Chinese and
arriving in China in 1997, when my then English with our first driver (my Chinese, his
Personal Assistant spoke very openly about English), after I struggled to explain that my
Tiananmen Square: she had been there, as a father was dead and had been a doctor, he
student; whilst her now husband (this was before beamed back at me in obvious pride and with
they were married), a doctor, attended to the great superiority that his father was a peasant
casualties in hospital
5. Subjects with which you must deal in a sensitive way
are:
¡
Politics in other countries; freedom of the press,
freedom of speech, and freedom to choose a
job, career or place to live; sex in connection
with marriage, health or crime; religion; the
supernatural; one child policy
¡
For many Chinese, still their lives are chosen for
them: jobs according to degree, accommodation
according to employer etc. For example: when Source: Christine Hall, Living and Working in China, How to Books,
asked by a very senior government official what Plymouth (UK) 1996, pp. 87,106
was the greatest benefit of my job, I replied: Comments: Minim Consulting, based on personal experience
“Being able to resign”
________________________________________________________________________________________________
“Chinese Puzzles” – Page 0 8 Minim Consulting isthe trading partnership of Andrew and Eileen Williamson

17. Chinese Puzzles - Banqueting
Introduction to the banquet room, which the most senior guest
should enter first. If the hosts greet their guests
This article describes the etiquette for formal with applause, the correct response is to applaud
banquets hosted by Chinese for foreign guests, back. Before eating, the (principal) guests may be
and vice-versa, in China. Whilst the degree of invited to sit in easy-chairs, offered tea and
formality may vary, according to the nature and cigarettes, and briefly indulge in small-talk, until the
importance of the occasion, the number of people, restaurant staff indicate that everything is ready
the individuals involved and their relationships with
each other, the underlying principles are still the Seating
same (although they are being gradually relaxed)
Seating is hierarchical, based on rank. Thus: the
Displaying some knowledge of banquet etiquette
hosts should request or be sent before-hand a list
demonstrates respect for Chinese way of life
of the guests’ names, in order of seniority, in order
to prepare seating plans; and guests wait to be
Venue shown to their seats, normally indicated by bi-
lingual name cards (and/or, at large banquets, on
Banquets are usually held in reserved private table-plans displayed outside the banquet room).
rooms in restaurants. Round tables are preferred, This also ensures that the Chinese and foreigners
as they seat more diners (ten to twelve each) and mingle, rather than gravitating into two camps
allow them to face each other
As in the West, the right-hand side is of higher
Invitations status than the left: hence, the principal guest sits
on the right-hand of the principal host, facing the
door; and the second-ranking guest and host
For very formal banquets, written invitations may
directly opposite. Any interpreters are placed on
be issued in English and/or Chinese (one or two
the right-hand of the principal and second-ranking
weeks in advance) which recipients should answer
guests (or opposite, at a rectangular table), which
- in writing or by ‘phone - and may need to produce
avoids them constantly having to swivel their head.
to gain entry. The invitation will specify the host,
If several tables are used, third and fourth rankers
date, time, venue and, where appropriate, the
may sit opposite each other at a second table; and
occasion and principal guest
fifth and sixth at a third etc. Alternatively, second
rankers may head a second table, and third
rankers a third etc. In both cases, the top table is
the furthest away from door; and the secondary
tables arranged so that their senior hosts can see
and be seen by the principal host at the top table.
With mixed guests (from different organisations),
the most senior member of each delegation should
sit at the top table. On less formal occasions,
the organisers should still work out beforehand
where the principal host(s) and guest(s) will sit
So much for the theory: in reality, the list of
Chinese guests may not be finalised until the last
minute, since their acceptances or refusals could
be telephoned very late. Worse still: a guest who is
unable to attend may send a substitute, possibly of
Author’s invitation to a banquet in honour of the different rank, which will upset the seating protocol
British Prime Minister – Beijing, October 1998
x x x
Arrival and Welcome Principal Host Interpreter
D
nd
In China, punctuality is a virtue, and tardiness an Principal 2 Ranking o
Guest Guest o
insult. Thus: guests should arrive on time (and
nd r
together, if members of the same organisation); Interpreter 2 Ranking
whilst the hosts assemble earlier in the banquet Host
room ready to greet the guests, to keep whom x x x
waiting is even ruder. On arrival, guests should be
met by the hosts’ representative and accompanied Simple seating plan for a one-table banquet
Page 9 / 1

18. Chinese Puzzles - Banqueting
Toasting When the host yourself: avoid serving alcohol
beforehand
Alcohol plays an important part in banquets, and Although well-bred Chinese women do not drink
should flow freely. Toasting is mandatory alcohol (except beer) in public, Western female
Drinking alcohol should not start until after the guests may do so in moderation without incurring
principal host stands to propose the first toast any shame, as the Chinese do expect Westerners
with a speech (averaging three to five minutes) to behave strangely!
and/or the words “gan bei” (equivalent to “bottoms
up”; literally “empty” or “dry the glass”). A few Serving
courses later, it is customary and courteous for the
principal guest to reply in similar fashion. The main difference from Western practice is that
Thereafter, anyone may propose a toast, to the in China, rather than diners being served individual
group or individually, standing or sitting, spoken or plates of food, dishes are placed in the centre of
silently, with alcohol or a soft drink. Indeed, never the table for everyone not only to share but also to
drink alcohol alone: instead, catch someone’s eye, admire
make a silent toast by smiling, and drink together
Appreciation of the presentation is almost as
To make a toast: hold the glass in both hands and important as of the taste. Thus, guests are
extend it towards the toastee, without clinking. At expected ritually to praise both - both from time to
one time, glasses had to be drained and turned time during, and at the end of, the banquet.
upside down: today, however, sobriety has Beware, however, of ritually praising food that
replaced tradition, and a token sip is now quite you do not like: your host may remember, and
sufficient & acceptable. At less formal banquets, serve the same again next time!
Chinese now touch the table (“lazy Susan”) with
Equally, self-deprecation is considered polite
the bottom of their glass, instead of clinking them
behaviour in China, the host should reply by
If several tables are used, it is customary and ritually apologising for serving a meagre meal –
courteous for the principal host and guest to visit which the cynics might consider false modesty
& propose a standing toast to each table, clinking “fishing for compliments”
glasses (rim to stem) with other principal guests
In the absence of waiters, it is the hosts’
The main toasting drink is “maotai”, a 100%+ spirit responsibility to monitor guests’ plates and serve
made in Maotai (Guizhou Province) from wheat & them throughout the meal. Do not start the first
sorghum (a type of millet), which could be course until either the principal host has served
mistaken for lighter-fuel. You have been warned! the principal guest and others within chopstick
reach (by selecting the best morsels and placing
Drinking them on their plates) or raised his chopsticks and
invited the diners to eat. Then you may serve
Between toasts, sip beer, a soft drink or tea. If yourself with your own chopsticks, or the public
your glass or cup is empty, however, do not fill it chopsticks or serving spoons (if provided). With
yourself, which is impolite. Rather, take care to fill successive courses, it is equally polite again to
your neighbours’, and you should find that they wait until the principal guests have been served
will reciprocate. The fuller you fill someone’s before serving yourself
glass, without it spilling over, the more respect and Help yourself to the dishes and portions nearest to
friendship you demonstrate you: it is rude to reach across the table and/or help
Beware of the host who tries to make you drunk or yourself to the best portions. Rather, take care to
challenge you to drinking games: it may be a offer the choicest morsels to your neighbours, and
matter of courtesy or honour for him to do so! To you should find that they will reciprocate. Indeed,
be drunk, or exhibit signs of drunkenness, in helping fellow diners to food is both polite and
public (e.g. staggering, falling, vomiting) is shows respect. If public chopsticks and serving
unacceptable and a loss of face. A polite way of spoons are out of reach, reverse your chopsticks
refusing alcohol is to turn the glass upside down or and use the end that has not been in your mouth.
place your hand over it. In desperation, cite health Do not serve with a spoon used for personal eating
reasons (e.g. allergy!); and, to save face, continue Note, however, that, contrary to Western custom,
to toast eagerly with a soft drink! Chinese protocol is to serve others rather than
Do not stop drinking, or change from hard to soft oneself, although this practice is changing through
drinks, in the middle of a banquet, since the hosts foreign influence. You should, therefore, observe
may incorrectly conclude they have offended you how the Chinese diners behave and follow suit
Page 9 / 2

19. Chinese Puzzles - Banqueting
Eating Menu
Diners can eat as much or little as they like of each A banquet is a demonstration of the generosity and
course, according to their taste, without offending prosperity of the host by giving the guests a taste
the host. However, they should pace themselves, of many different dishes served successively
eating slowly and steadily, and tasting a bit of
The banquet will start with an even number (four to
everything; and not rush or fill up too early, since it
ten) of cold appetizers (e.g. meat, seafood and
to stop eating in the middle of a banquet is rude,
pickled vegetables), which do not count as part of
and may lead the hosts incorrectly to conclude that
the meal proper but are intended to whet the
they have caused offence
diners’ appetites and to accompany the first toast.
To refuse food is at worst impolite; and at best The main courses (6-12) follow, comprising hot
ineffective, susceptible to being interpreted by the meat, fish or “yu”, poultry, seafood and vegetable
Chinese in their own terms as ritual modesty, not dishes; and staple food (e.g. rice or “mifan”,
to be taken literally. However, to refrain from noodles, dumplings or “jiaozi”). The Chinese do
eating something is acceptable (albeit ungracious). not generally eat dessert, but fruit is considered
Indeed, you should try to sample every dish an appropriate finale to a good meal
Thus, when faced with something you dislike or
distrust, accept but do not eat it: instead, just push Banquet offered by the British Embassy and the
it around on your plate a bit and pretend you have British Chamber of Commerce in China to honour
sampled it. The main exception to this rule is the British Prime Minister – Beijing, October 1998
when your host serves you personally, even from
his own plate, when he has probably chosen the Barbecued Meat Combination
most succulent morsel. On such an occasion, to Sautéed Diced Chicken with Assorted Vegetables
refuse would be an insult: sometimes, you just and Cashew Nuts
have to grin and swallow! Sliced Goose with Bean Curd
To remove something from your mouth: use your Diced Beef Tenderloin in Black Pepper Sauce
chopsticks or spit discreetly into a cloth rather than Braised Shark’s Fin and Fish Maw in Soup
using your fingers (which is considered impolite) Steamed Mandarin Fish with Light Soya Sauce
Young Vegetables In Superior Broth
Chopsticks (“kwaizi”)
Glutinous Rice in Lotus Leaves
Westerners who have difficulty using chopsticks Beijing Pork Dumpling
may use the porcelain spoon provided at each Traditional Moon Cake with Lotus Bean Paste
place setting, but only after “having a go”. Whilst Seasonal Fresh Fruit Platter
foreigners who find chopsticks awkward do not
offend them, the Chinese do appreciate their
trying: after all, they cannot all use a knife and fork! Fish
The Chinese use chopsticks any way they like,
even spearing food with them (despite what the When serving a whole fish, the head should point
books say). If there is a correct way, however, it towards, and may be offered to, the principal guest
is to use your right hand (to avoid clashing with
your neighbour), whilst keeping your left on the Rice
table (to avoid any speculation as to what it is
doing). Also, the nearer the top (i.e. further away Hosts may not always serve rice at a banquet; in
from tip) you hold the chopsticks, the better bred which case, guests should never ask for it, as this
you are considered would imply that the host has not provided enough
food. Similarly, when rice is served, guests only
It is bad manners to play with chopsticks, point
need to pick at it, by way of indicating their
them at anyone, or lay them directly on the table.
satisfaction. (This is in contrast to private meals,
Above all, do not leave your chopsticks in the rice-
where, in deference to the importance of rice in
bowl while doing something else - which is an
Chinese history & culture, to leave rice is impolite:
omen of death, being reminiscent of incense sticks
just as Western children are encouraged to “finish
in a bowl of ashes offered to the dead: instead, lay
their greens”, so Chinese children are to eat their
them on the rest provided, or the rim of your plate
rice). Surprisingly, the correct way to eat rice is to
raise the bowl to your mouth with one hand, and
“shovel in” the rice with the chopsticks
Page 9 / 3

20. Chinese Puzzles - Banqueting
Noodles Drivers and Interpreters
Do not be surprised if the Chinese diners eat the Ensure that arrangements are made to feed your
noodles noisily as a sign of their enjoyment and guests’ drivers, according to local custom (from
appreciation providing a simple meal in a separate room, to
giving them cash to buy their own food somewhere
However, eating noisily on other occasions (e.g.
else)
soup) is no longer as acceptable as it used to be
For example: when hosting his first large-scale
Soup senior banquet (including the British Ambassador
and the Chair of the People’s Life Insurance
Soup (a thin broth to aid digestion) may be served Company of China), only thanks to the author’s
before or after the main courses, depending on Chinese personal assistant’s quick-wittedness was
where in China; and dispensed by the host. The a near-disaster averted when she took immediate
bowl may be held in one hand, and the soup remedial action on learning that no such
sipped from the bowl or using a porcelain spoon arrangements had been made for the drivers
Similarly: agree beforehand how and when the
Bones interpreter(s) should eat
For example: at the author’s first formal banquet,
Leave bones and shells on your plate, which the
the British guests were embarrassed that the
waiters will remove and replace with a clean one
Chinese interpreter was not expected to eat until
the end of the meal
Conversation
Gifts
Normal rules of conversational etiquette in China
apply (as for business meetings and negotiations).
Personal gifts may be left at the place settings
Thus, diners other than the principals may have to
before the banquet begins; whilst the principal or
wait to be invited to speak
communal gifts (i.e. between the principal guest
For example: at his first formal banquet on a and host) should be presented publicly and
single-table hosted by a Vice-Minister of the formally at an appropriate moment, using both
Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Co- hands (e.g. when making or responding to the
Operation (MOFTEC), the author had to remain main toast)
silent for nearly one hour
Each side should let the other side know of its gift,
In particular, your neighbours may not speak to avoid the embarrassment of one party coming
English: however, if you do not know Chinese, you empty-handed and being unable to reciprocate
should still try to communicate with them somehow
In China, the thought counts more than the gift (“li
(e.g. in another language). Not to do so is a social
qing; ren yi zhong”); for which reason, it is not
blunder
customary to open gifts in the presence of the
For example: when the author’s wife found herself giver, since to do so would draw attention to the
next to the Director-General of the Chinese gift, and detract from the thought. Thus, personal
Performing Arts Agency, they were soon gifts are not opened during the banquet, but
conducting a very animated conversation in afterwards in private – which practice also avoids
Spanish! the embarrassment of having to feign drooling over
kitsch. Exceptionally, however, you may ask the
Never speak off the record at a banquet: your
Chinese to open your principal or communal gift to
words may come back to haunt you. Also, some
them, explaining that this is a Western custom
say: wait until after the fish dish has arrived to
discuss business
Smoking
Dress
Smoking between courses is not unusual
Standard banquet attire is a dark, lounge suit and Although Chinese women tend not to smoke, and
tie for men; and a dress or trouser suit for ladies. especially in public, Western female guests may
There is no need to wear a dinner-jacket, unless do so in moderation without incurring shame, as
specifically requested (for example: as the author the Chinese expect Westerners to behave oddly!
was, at the China Club in Beijing)
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