InChina,goodmannersmeangoodfutureforyoungsters.China,astheworld'smostpopulouscountry,isfastemergingasoneofthemostimportantmarketsformanyU.S.agriculturalbusinesses.Hometonearlyone-quarteroftheworld'spopulation,Chinawelcomesbusinesspeopleseekingnewopportunities.UnderstandingChinesecultureisessentialtoasuccessfulbusinessexperience.

　　TheFundamentals

　　TosuccessfullynavigateChineseculture,visitorsmustappreciatetheessentialcorevaluesthatmakethesocietytick.Inanamalgamationofancienttraditionandcommunistphilosophy,thesevaluescenteraroundrespectforageandhierarchicalposition,groupratherthanindividualorientation,theconceptofmaintainingfaceandtheimportanceofpersonalrelationships.

　　ForAmericans,comingfromasocietythatemphasizesindividualism,interactinginsuchaculturecanbedifficult.

　　CultivatingaPersonalRelationship

　　PersonalrelationsareabiggerfactoringettingthingsdoneinChinathanintheUnitedStates.Inbusiness,theserelationshipsarecrucialbecauseallagreementsrelymoreontrustbetweenpartiesthanonfullyarticulated,legallyenforceablecontracts.ThishaslongbeenafeatureofChineseculture,whereone'swordandahandshakecloseadeal,asopposedtocultureswhichrelyonlotsofdocumentation.

　　TodobusinesswiththeChinese,makefriendswiththemfirst.Smalltalkabouthobbiesandfamiliesisagoodwaytobreaktheice.Meanwhile,itisgoodtodescribeyourselfbeforebroachingbusinesstopics.

　　Thefollowaretipsforyoungpeople:

　　Do'sandDon'ts

　　WhenyoumeetyourChinesecounterpartsforthefirsttime,payattentiontosmalldetails.Generallyspeaking,shakinghandsandexchangingnamecardsisthecommonwaytobeginafirstmeeting.

　　Donotbetoodemonstrative,asthiswillmostlikelycauseembarrassment.Laughingloudlyisconsideredimpolitewhenmeetingpeopleforthefirsttime.Trynottobetootalkative,andbesuretodemonstrateagenuineinterestinwhatothershavetosay.

　　二、

　　Well,Ithinkmyideaofpolitenessreallyisjustgeneralconsiderationforother

　　people.Forexample,ifyouseeamumstrugglingwithacoupleofkidswitha

　　pramorpushchairtryingtogetupstairsatarailwaystation,Ijustthinkit

　　commoncourtesyreallytotryandgiveahand.

　　WellgenerallyIfindBritishpeopleextremelypolite,verydisciplinedinthings.For

　　examplewhenItravelonthetubeIalwaysseethatthereisalwayssomebodywho

　　givesuptheirseatforapregnantwomanorelderlypeopleorwomenwithchildren.

　　IhavegreatadmirationforBritishwayoflifebecausethereisalotthingspeople

　　canlearnfromthisinotherpartsoftheworld.

　　IthinkoneexampleofBritishgoodmannerscomparedtoperhapscertainother

　　nationalitiesisintheuseofmobilephones.IhavenoticedwhenIamabroadin

　　meetingsifpeople’smobilephoneringspeopleimmediatelypickitupandanswer

　　andIthinkhereintheUK,certainlypeoplewithgoodmannersdon'tusetheir

　　mobilephonesinmeetings.Ifyouarehavingamealinarestaurantit’sbetternot

　　touseit.Ofcourseduringashoworcinemayouwouldobviouslyturnitoff.

　　Britishpeopleareverypoliteinthewaytheyt