How do you greet someone in China?
A nod or a light handshake, addressed to the most senior person first. Use a title plus surname — Director Wang, Manager Li — rather than a given name, which is reserved for family and close friends.
Seniority orders almost everything: who is introduced first, who speaks first, who sits facing the door, and who is served first at the table. If you cannot tell who is senior, follow your host's lead rather than guessing.
Physical contact beyond a handshake is uncommon in formal settings. Hugs and back-slaps belong to close friends; the safe default is a slight nod and, where a business card is involved, handing it over with both hands.
Gifts, and why two hands
Cards, gifts, cups and documents are given and received with both hands, and a business card should be read before it is put away. Pocketing a card unread reads as contempt, and writing on someone's card in front of them is worse.
Safe gifts are fruit, good tea and decent liquor, presented in pairs and wrapped in red or gold. Avoid clocks and watches — the phrase sounds like attending a funeral — sharp objects, umbrellas, white or black wrapping, and anything in fours.
Refuse a gift twice before accepting it. Immediate acceptance looks greedy, while a modest refusal followed by acceptance is the correct shape. The same pattern applies to an offer of dinner, a drink or a favour.
At the table
Wait to be shown to your seat; the guest of honour faces the door. Let the host order and let the host pay — a guest is expected to make a show of offering, and the host is expected to refuse.
The chopstick rules that carry weight are behavioural, not technical: never stand them upright in rice, never tap the bowl, never point with them, and use the serving spoon rather than your own chopsticks to serve others.
Toasts are part of any business dinner. Hold your glass slightly below the rim of the senior person's glass when you clink; if you do not drink alcohol, say so at the start rather than declining each round, and tea is an accepted substitute.
Our food guide covers the eating side in more depth at /culture/food-culture/, including what to order and how to ask for less chilli.
Meetings and business etiquette
Punctuality is expected from visitors, and ten minutes early is better than on time. Meetings open with tea and small talk; going straight to the agenda is read as impatience rather than efficiency.
Cards are exchanged at the start, in order of seniority, with the Chinese side facing the recipient if you have one. A card in English alone is acceptable; one with Simplified Chinese printed on the reverse is noticeably better.
Decisions are usually made after the meeting rather than in it. Pressing for an immediate answer puts people on the spot, and a vague yes often means no — read the follow-up email rather than the nod in the room.
Taboos that actually matter
Three cause real offence: giving a clock, standing chopsticks upright in rice, and criticising someone in front of others. The third is the serious one — loss of face, mianzi, damages a relationship far more than the original complaint.
Numbers carry weight. Four sounds close to the word for death, so avoid fours in gifts; eight sounds like wealth and six like smoothness, and both are lucky. Phone numbers and hotel floors built around eights command a premium.
Photography has real limits: military sites, airport security areas and some religious interiors are off limits, and you should always ask before photographing monks, performers or people in Tibet and Xinjiang. A licensed guide handles these conversations for you.
| Situation | Do | Don't |
|---|---|---|
| Meeting someone | Nod or shake hands; use title plus surname | Use a given name on first meeting |
| Receiving a card | Take it with both hands and read it | Pocket it without looking |
| Dinner with a host | Let the host order and pay | Insist on splitting the bill |
| Pouring tea | Fill others' cups before your own | Let the pot run dry |
| Giving a gift | Fruit, tea or good liquor, wrapped in red | Clocks, umbrellas, sets of four |
| Receiving praise | Deflect modestly, twice | Accept loudly and agree |
Last updated: 2026-10-02 · Reviewed by JoyoTour