Don't Leave Home Without Them
from
January/February 2006
by Ann Morrison
In China, you are your business card. Plan on taking plenty; then pack at least one box more. Exchanging “name cards” is an important introductory ritual. Stand up when meeting someone for the first time and present your card with two hands, with the writing facing the recipient, who will receive the card with two hands. You should also use both hands to accept the card that will inevitably be presented to you in return. Look at it even if you can’t read what it says, and say something like, “It’s nice to meet you.” Then put the card into your cardholder (a silver one would be nice), never your pocket. Or if you are in a meeting, place it carefully on the table, a polite gesture that can also be useful for remembering who’s who.
Don’t be surprised if your new acquaintances turn your card over to see if your name and corporate details are written in Chinese on the back; their cards will almost certainly be bilingual. It’s not a bad idea to have a Chinese-speaker come up with a Chinese name for you. It will probably sound like your given name and connote status, achievement, wisdom, or kindness. This is serious business, so play safe and run the name by another Chinese-speaker to make sure you know how it will be interpreted before you have it printed on the reverse of your card.
In China, surnames usually come first. Hu Jintao is President Hu. Call your business associates by their surnames (ask if you aren’t sure), always preceded by an honorific, as in “Director Li.”
Presenting a gift of something from your industry or city is another custom, and shows you are interested in building a relationship. Be careful what you give. Knives, letter-openers, scissors, and other sharp items indicate that you may want to sever the relationship. Avoid presents that might suggest death, which include anything in a set of four. The Mandarin for four, si, sounds a lot like the word for death. (Eight, which is associated with wealth, is a very good number.) Gifts should be wrapped in red or gold, which connote happiness and prosperity.
Try to master chopsticks before you go. You’re sure to be invited to a meal where your host will probably place savory pieces of food from the family-style serving dishes on your plate, and if your manual dexterity is up to it, you should place something on your host’s plate too. Plan to eat a bit of everything put in front of you, but don’t clean your plate—that’s a signal that you are still hungry, which could make your hosts lose face. Drinking is an important part of the social activity, so be prepared to receive and give many toasts.
Handshakes are fine and expected, but don’t be surprised if your Chinese counterpart has a wimpy grip or avoids American-standard eye contact. And don’t try to be too Chinese—your hosts won’t expect you to know all their customs.
But they will expect you to have business cards.
