| Prior to privatisation in China, business
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| | and understand meal etiquette
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| only existed in the form of State Owned
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| | This involves practice beforehand. Using
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| Enterprise (SOE). These were (and still
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| | chopsticks is the first step of eating
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| are) run by people with strong political
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| | etiquette and conveys the message to the
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| backgrounds and relationships, usually
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| | Chinese that you are willing to learn and
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| connected by family ties to someone in
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| | accept their way of living. There are two
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| the government. This sort of closed
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| | kinds of chopsticks - disposable (wooden)
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| organisational structure gave no
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| | and those used at banquets (made of
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| opportunity for its employees to be
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| | plastic, jade or polished wood). The
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| involved in any decision-making
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| | latter are quite difficult to use to eat
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| processes. Often, principle-based
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| | the peanuts and small bits, so common in
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| leadership was substantial to motivate
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| | Chinese cuisine, so make sure you
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| staff to be productive, although the
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| | practise with these.When dishes are
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| extent of government financial support
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| | brought to the table, wait for your
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| available meant that SOEs frequently
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| | counterpart to start eating or at least
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| didn't need much in the way of business
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| | invite you to help yourself. Fish is
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| knowledge or understanding of the market.
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| | always taken by the highest ranking
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| Success was based rather on good
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| | person seated at the table. They usually
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| relationship building - which effectively
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| | get the fish cheeks too - the best part
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| meant getting government financial
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| | of the fish.When drinking toasts, your
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| support.With the boom of joint venture in
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| | cup should be held at a lower level than
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| the late 80s and early 90s, foreign
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| | your counterpart's. That way you show
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| investors started sending their own
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| | respect. If they attempt to say cheers
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| managers to interact with the SOE
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| | with their glasses held lower than yours,
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| business culture. They were given great
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| | don't fall for it, it is just a
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| packages as incentives to compensate for
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| | test.Waitresses will keep refilling your
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| hard local living conditions. In the 13
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| | glass while you are talking. While
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| years I have been living in China, I have
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| | conversation continues, tap your index
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| heard stories, too numerous to mention,
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| | and middle finger twice on the table,
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| of foreign managers attending hundreds of
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| | which simply means 'Thank you'. This
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| banquets and getting drunk with
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| | custom is explained by the legend of an
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| government officials, while the
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| | emperor, who decided to mingle with his
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| translators took over the communication
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| | people in disguise. He swapped clothes
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| channels. Most of the time they would
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| | with his servant and watched as officials
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| have no idea of what was going on, other
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| | focussed all their attention on his
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| than that they were expected to drink
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| | servant, believing him to be the emperor.
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| vast quantities of alcohol, which somehow
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| | When the servant, dressed as emperor, was
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| or other bridged the gap between the two
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| | offered tea the true emperor in servant's
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| cultures. The main criteria for
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| | clothes had to serve him. To preserve the
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| foreigners to be successful in this
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| | disguise, without compromising the
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| business arena were knowledge of the
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| | respect due to his emperor, the servant,
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| following:1. How to recognise who is a
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| | dressed as emperor, tapped two fingers on
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| decision maker
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| | the table to denote bowing with respect
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| 2. How to impress Chinese counterparts
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| | to the real emperor.How to 'fake'
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| by speaking a few Chinese phrases
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| | drinking (and not get drunk)
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| 3. How to use chopsticks and understand
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| | The easiest way is secretly to pour
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| meal etiquette
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| | water into your cup, since you will be
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| 4. How to 'fake' drinkingHow to
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| | challenged to drink baijiu (white
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| recognise who is a decision maker
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| | spirit). This lethal spirit has a strong
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| All banquets are served on round tables
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| | taste and is 50%-70% alcohol. While
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| and there is no obvious distinguishing
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| | nobody is watching fill your cup with
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| mark, to indicate where the main guest is
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| | water and make sure it is always full.
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| seated. However there are a few
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| | Initiate constant refills of everybody's
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| give-aways. Look out for these clues:
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| | drinks and you will soon gain the title
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| - The guest of honour is most likely to
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| | of 'Lao Han' (honourable Chinese). An
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| be facing the door (so they can see when
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| | alternative is quickly to dispose of the
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| the new dishes are brought in).
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| | contents of your cup over your shoulder
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| - Fish is the sign of prosperity and a
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| | as you bring it close to your mouth. Make
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| banquet is likely to include a fish dish.
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| | sure there is nobody watching and that
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| The head of the fish will be placed
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| | there is nobody standing behind you!
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| facing the person of highest status.
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| | Baiju is always drunk down in one go
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| - The counterpart will be seated
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| | unless it is mentioned otherwise. It is a
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| directly opposite.
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| | good idea to fake being slightly drunk
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| - The people seated at the right and
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| | too, in order to avoid arousing any
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| left hand of the person of highest status
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| | suspicions.And remember, enjoy the meal,
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| are the two next most important decision
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| | be prepared to eat intestines, turtles,
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| makers.How to impress Chinese
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| | snakes and drink snake blood and bile
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| counterparts by speaking a few Chinese
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| | without showing any disgust - these
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| phrases
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| | delicacies are believed to improve your
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| The Chinese language consists of phrases
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| | manhood. If you are a woman, you are more
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| that are called 'chengyu', the nearest
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| | likely to be forgiven the odd lapse and
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| interpretation of which, would be -
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| | at least won't be under so much pressure
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| proverbs. They usually have four
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| | to drink heavily. In this case, you
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| characters and have a whole story behind
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| | should make sure that you are accompanied
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| them to support the meaning that you want
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| | by a Chinese person of higher position in
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| to express. There are dictionaries with a
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| | your company, who is prepared to take
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| selection of the most frequently used
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| | over the drinking part of the evening,
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| chengyu, an essential part of your
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| | which is so crucial in establishing good
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| library. Make sure you use a chengyu at
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| | business relationships.Copyright 2006
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| the appropriate time and you will grab
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| | Dalida TurkovicDalida Turkovic - Master
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| everybody's attention and gain
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| | Coach and Master NLP Practitioner has
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| substantial respect.How to use chopsticks
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| | lived and worked in China since 1990.
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