If your company is considering expanding internationally, China holds plenty of amazing business opportunities.
\nYou may find yourself traveling there to negotiate and discuss business strategy, so you’ll need to know what to expect and have a firm understanding of the cultural differences you might encounter. There are many.
\r\nIf you are planning your first business trip to China, here are five helpful tips to make sure your journey is successful and enjoyable.
\r\nRelated Article: So International: Business Etiquette From Around the World
\r\nChina’s airports are the worst-rated in the world when it comes to punctuality, so don’t schedule any important meetings for several hours after your flight is supposed to land. According to a report from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the worst offenders are Spring Airlines, Lucky Air, Shanghai Airlines, China Express Airlines and Chongqing Airlines. Spring Airlines has an average punctuality rating of only 56 percent, meaning almost half of their flights are delayed or canceled.
\r\nBeing late to a meeting is considered extremely insulting in Chinese culture, so do whatever you have to do to make sure you make it to your appointments on time, no matter how long your flight is delayed.
\r\nIf you’d like to develop fruitful business relationships in China, be prepared to do a lot of personal bonding first. There’s even a word for it, Guanxi, and it can’t be rushed. You will likely want to attend business dinners to get to know the client or partner, where business is often not discussed at all. Make sure to research what you should expect from such dinners, and how to conduct yourself to adhere to Chinese cultural norms.
\r\nAlways bring a gift when you meet with Chinese business associates, as it is a customary sign of respect. For brownie points, bring something special from your home country. Most Chinese don’t have the luxury of traveling abroad often. Alcohol and tobacco products are generally appreciated, but you can also give fruits, nuts, teas, and other food items or health supplements.
\r\nIn China, business relationships are based on mutual trust and respect. That being said, Chinese businesses undeniably have the reputation of valuing profit over all else. According to Michael Witt, Professor of Asian Business & Management at INSEAD, Chinese business professionals may push the boundaries of what Westerners see as ethical, using questionable negotiation tactics.
\r\n“For example,” Witt said in a Forbes article, “the representatives of a large Western firm were negotiating the distribution rights for one of their products. Their Chinese counterparts closed their initial pitch by threatening to use their political connections to prevent the distribution of their products if they did not receive the rights. In another case, the Chinese party got their Western guests drunk to prevent them from being effective in negotiations the following morning (which, on the Chinese side, involved a completely different set of people).”
\r\nRelated Article: China, the US and Emerging Market Economies: Where Are We At in the Economic Cycle?
\r\nThis is no reason to be discouraged from doing business in China, but it is definitely something to keep in mind. If you’re going to drink, do so responsibly. You can always abstain, but you’ll likely get teased a bit. Women are not expected to participate in heavy drinking, so it might also be wise to incorporate a few women into your team when negotiating.
\r\nConsider gathering payment up-front or on the delivery of services or product, as business laws in China are not as regulated, and contracts generally aren’t as strong. You may have to fight for payment later. For guidance on this topic, check out this article from the China Law Blog.
\r\nAbove all else, always be respectful when doing business with the Chinese. Interrupting, no matter how urgent your comment, is considered very rude. Pointing at people, acting cocky, getting angry in public, or even accepting food or drink without first refusing a few times are generally considered rude as well.
\r\nMany things that are considered positive traits in Western business culture, like assertiveness and directness, for instance, can make people think you’re rude in China. It’s a good rule to listen more than you speak at first, and only voice your opinion when it’s asked for. Aside from politeness, patience is rewarded. You probably won’t accomplish much in your first meeting, and your main focus should be building trust and familiarity.
\r\nThe Chinese government censors the Internet heavily, controlling the type of information that can be accessed, as well as monitoring who is accessing what content, at what times. If you’re planning on traveling to China, it’s wise to use a disposable cell phone, and invest in a laptop that you use only for your travels there.
\r\nLimit the files you have on your travel laptop to the essential, and never send or receive sensitive documents online during your stay. If you must, only exchange this information over a secure network and websites. Also, make sure you encrypt your hard drive and use dual-password protection. If your device is stolen it will be extremely difficult to extract any usable information.
\r\nMany professionals also have trouble accessing websites like DropBox, Twitter, Facebook, and Gmail while doing business in China. To remedy this and mitigate security issues, it’s possible for your company to create a site-to-site Virtual Private Network, which allows you to access web pages and data securely as if you were on-site at your office. There are also public VPN’s which will allow you to access censored websites, but may lead to different data security issues. Either type of VPN will slow your connection considerably.
\r\nRelated Article: Pack Your Bags: 10 Great Startup Cities That Aren’t San Francisco
\r\nWhile doing business with a culture that is very different from the Western norm can be intimidating, that is certainly no reason to shy away from the many lucrative opportunities that exist in China. If you follow these five tips and are gracious enough to be respectful of the way the Chinese operate, you’ll likely gain loyal business partners that will help your business grow for years to come.
\n","docType":"article","guid":"articles_743de06412aecc3ef8eba3a88ff557ed","lastModified":"2016-08-10T13:00:00.000Z","published":"2016-08-10T13:00:00.000Z","structuredData":null,"subtitle":null,"template":"v1","title":"5 Tips for a Successful First Business Trip to China","type":"article","author":{"avatar":null,"bio":"Clair is a freelance writer and technology and business expert based in Salt Lake City, Utah. She has been published on trusted sites like Forbes, Huffington Post, and Business2Community.","name":"Clair Jones","image":null,"slug":null,"social":{"facebook":"","linkedin":"","twitter":"the_clair_jones","website":"http://www.localinternetservice.com"},"status":"disabled","title":null,"type":"Old BDC Member","user":{"imagePath":"https://staging.business.com/images/undefined","profile":{"company":"Sue Bride","jobTitle":"Owner","website":""}}},"breadcrumbs":null,"channels":{"primary":{"name":"Business Basics","slug":"business-basics"},"sub":{"name":"Entrepreneurship","slug":"entrepreneurship"}},"meta":{"robots":"index, follow","description":"Educate yourself about common travel challenges, cultural norms, and important Chinese business meeting etiquette.","title":"Successful First Business Trip to China - business.com"},"parsedContent":{"toc":[{"id":"1-anticipate-flight-delays","title":"1. Anticipate Flight Delays"},{"id":"2-before-trust-comes-friendship","title":"2. Before Trust Comes Friendship"},{"id":"3-business-ethics-are-flexible","title":"3. Business Ethics Are Flexible"},{"id":"4-chinese-culture-can-be-complex","title":"4. Chinese Culture Can Be Complex"},{"id":"5-data-security-is-important","title":"5. Data Security Is Important"}],"json":[{"component":"p","children":["If your company is considering expanding internationally, China holds plenty of amazing business opportunities."]},{"component":"p","children":["You may find yourself traveling there to negotiate and discuss business strategy, so you’ll need to know what to expect and have a firm understanding of the cultural differences you might encounter. There are many."]},{"component":"p","children":["If you are planning your first business trip to China, here are five helpful tips to make sure your journey is successful and enjoyable."]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"em","children":["Related Article:"]}," ",{"component":"Link","props":{"href":"http://www.business.com/entrepreneurship/so-international-business-etiquette-from-around-the-world/"},"children":["So International: Business Etiquette From Around the World"]}]},{"component":"h2","props":{"id":"1-anticipate-flight-delays"},"children":[{"component":"em","children":["1. Anticipate Flight Delays"]}]},{"component":"p","children":["China’s airports are the worst-rated in the world when it comes to punctuality, so don’t schedule any important meetings for several hours after your flight is supposed to land. According to a report from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the worst offenders are Spring Airlines, Lucky Air, Shanghai Airlines, China Express Airlines and Chongqing Airlines. Spring Airlines has an average ",{"component":"a","props":{"href":"https://thenanfang.com/top-10-delayed-airlines-china/","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":["punctuality rating of only 56 percent"]},", meaning almost half of their flights are delayed or canceled. "]},{"component":"p","children":["Being late to a meeting is considered extremely insulting in Chinese culture, so do whatever you have to do to make sure you make it to your appointments on time, no matter how long your flight is delayed."]},{"component":"h2","props":{"id":"2-before-trust-comes-friendship"},"children":[{"component":"em","children":["2. Before Trust Comes Friendship"]}]},{"component":"p","children":["If you’d like to develop fruitful business relationships in China, be prepared to do a lot of personal bonding first. There’s even a word for it, Guanxi, and it can’t be rushed. You will likely want to attend business dinners to get to know the client or partner, where business is often not discussed at all. Make sure to research what you should expect from such dinners, and ",{"component":"a","props":{"href":"http://www.yoyochinese.com/blog/4-Tips-Survive-Your-First-Chinese-Business-Dinner","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":["how to conduct yourself"]}," to adhere to Chinese cultural norms."]},{"component":"p","children":["Always bring a gift when you meet with Chinese business associates, as it is a customary sign of respect. For brownie points, bring something special from your home country. Most Chinese don’t have the luxury of traveling abroad often. Alcohol and tobacco products are generally appreciated, but you can also ",{"component":"a","props":{"href":"https://chinaculturecorner.com/2013/10/30/giving-gifts-in-china/","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":["give fruits, nuts, teas, and other food items"]}," or health supplements."]},{"component":"h2","props":{"id":"3-business-ethics-are-flexible"},"children":[{"component":"em","children":["3. Business Ethics Are Flexible"]}]},{"component":"p","children":["In China, business relationships are based on mutual trust and respect. That being said, Chinese businesses undeniably have the reputation of valuing profit over all else. According to Michael Witt, Professor of Asian Business & Management at INSEAD, Chinese business professionals may push the boundaries of what Westerners see as ethical, using questionable negotiation tactics."]},{"component":"p","children":["“For example,” Witt said in a ",{"component":"a","props":{"href":"http://www.forbes.com/sites/insead/2012/03/06/the-ten-principles-for-doing-business-in-china/#1a83e5471176","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":[{"component":"i","children":["Forbes"]}," article"]},", “the representatives of a large Western firm were negotiating the distribution rights for one of their products. Their Chinese counterparts closed their initial pitch by threatening to use their political connections to prevent the distribution of their products if they did not receive the rights. In another case, the Chinese party got their Western guests drunk to prevent them from being effective in negotiations the following morning (which, on the Chinese side, involved a completely different set of people).”"]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"em","children":["Related Article:"]}," ",{"component":"Link","props":{"href":"http://www.business.com/finance/china-the-us-and-emerging-market-economies-where-are-we-at-in-the-economic-cycle/"},"children":["China, the US and Emerging Market Economies: Where Are We At in the Economic Cycle?"]}]},{"component":"p","children":["This is no reason to be discouraged from doing business in China, but it is definitely something to keep in mind. If you’re going to drink, do so responsibly. You can always abstain, but you’ll likely get teased a bit. Women are not expected to participate in heavy drinking, so it might also be wise to incorporate a few women into your team when negotiating."]},{"component":"p","children":["Consider gathering payment up-front or on the delivery of services or product, as business laws in China are not as regulated, and contracts generally aren’t as strong. You may have to fight for payment later. For guidance on this topic, check out this article from the ",{"component":"a","props":{"href":"http://www.chinalawblog.com/2012/05/providing-service-to-chinese-companies-get-paid-upfront-or-dont-bother.html","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":["China Law Blog"]},"."]},{"component":"h2","props":{"id":"4-chinese-culture-can-be-complex"},"children":[{"component":"em","children":["4. Chinese Culture Can Be Complex"]}]},{"component":"p","children":["Above all else, always ",{"component":"a","props":{"href":"http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/2013/12/29/cultural-studies-pay-in-china/4240917/","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":["be respectful when doing business"]}," with the Chinese. Interrupting, no matter how urgent your comment, is considered very rude. Pointing at people, acting cocky, getting angry in public, or even accepting food or drink without first refusing a few times are generally considered rude as well. "]},{"component":"p","children":["Many things that are considered positive traits in Western business culture, like assertiveness and directness, for instance, can make people think you’re rude in China. It’s a good rule to listen more than you speak at first, and only voice your opinion when it’s asked for. Aside from politeness, patience is rewarded. You probably won’t accomplish much in your first meeting, and your main focus should be building trust and familiarity."]},{"component":"h2","props":{"id":"5-data-security-is-important"},"children":[{"component":"em","children":["5. Data Security Is Important"]}]},{"component":"p","children":["The Chinese government censors the Internet heavily, controlling the type of information that can be accessed, as well as monitoring who is accessing what content, at what times. If you’re planning on traveling to China, it’s wise to use a disposable cell phone, and invest in a laptop that you use only for your travels there."]},{"component":"p","children":["Limit the files you have on your travel laptop to the essential, and never send or receive sensitive documents online during your stay. If you must, only exchange this information over a secure network and websites. Also, make sure you encrypt your hard drive and use dual-password protection. If your device is stolen it will be extremely difficult to extract any usable information."]},{"component":"p","children":["Many professionals also have trouble accessing websites like DropBox, Twitter, Facebook, and Gmail while doing business in China. To remedy this and mitigate security issues, it’s possible for your company to create a site-to-site ",{"component":"a","props":{"href":"https://www.bestvpnrating.com/blog/should-you-be-using-tor-or-vpn-best-online-security-and-freedom","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":["Virtual Private Network"]},", which allows you to access web pages and data securely as if you were on-site at your office. There are also public VPN’s which will allow you to access censored websites, but may lead to different data security issues. Either type of VPN will slow your connection considerably."]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"em","children":["Related Article:"]}," ",{"component":"Link","props":{"href":"http://www.business.com/entrepreneurship/10-great-startup-cities-that-arent-san-francisco/"},"children":["Pack Your Bags: 10 Great Startup Cities That Aren’t San Francisco"]}]},{"component":"p","children":["While doing business with a culture that is very different from the Western norm can be intimidating, that is certainly no reason to shy away from the many lucrative opportunities that exist in China. If you follow these five tips and are gracious enough to be respectful of the way the Chinese operate, you’ll likely gain loyal business partners that will help your business grow for years to come."]}]},"resource":null,"sponsorship":null,"thumbnail":{"path":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/5d2/4f61f9c658a3a368b458f/1500-0-","caption":"ESB Professional/Shutterstock","isBlurred":false},"bestPicks":null},"related":{"relatedArticles":[{"title":"5 Tips for a Successful First Business Trip to China","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/5-tips-for-a-successful-first-business-trip-to-china/","slug":"5-tips-for-a-successful-first-business-trip-to-china","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5d2/4f61f9c658a3a368b458f/1500-0-","dek":"If your company is considering expanding internationally, China holds plenty of amazing business opportunities.","lastModified":"2016-08-10T13:00:00Z","published":"2016-08-10T13:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"How to Get Things Done Anywhere: Top Productivity Hacks From Digital Nomads","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/how-to-get-things-done-anywhere-top-productivity-hacks-from-digital-nomads/","slug":"how-to-get-things-done-anywhere-top-productivity-hacks-from-digital-nomads","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/55d/73fcb3287b13f168b457f/1500-0-","dek":"Digital nomads share their routines, tools and productivity hacks they use to get things done and stay motivated when traveling.","lastModified":"2019-07-31T20:57:20Z","published":"2015-08-21T18:00:00Z","sponsored":null},{"title":"How to Get Things Done Anywhere: Top Productivity Hacks From Digital Nomads","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/how-to-get-things-done-anywhere-top-productivity-hacks-from-digital-nomads/","slug":"how-to-get-things-done-anywhere-top-productivity-hacks-from-digital-nomads","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/channel/career.jpg","dek":"Digital nomads share their routines, tools and productivity hacks they use to get things done and stay motivated when traveling.","lastModified":"2015-08-21T18:00:00Z","published":"2015-08-21T18:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"TSA Precheck: Everything You Need to Know Before Business Travel","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/tsa-precheck-everything-you-need-to-know-before-business-travel/","slug":"tsa-precheck-everything-you-need-to-know-before-business-travel","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/570/40cc93187b14d350f68c3/1500-0-","dek":"If you want to breeze through the airport on the way to your next meeting, these TSA pre-check tips are a must.","lastModified":"2017-02-22T23:53:53Z","published":"2016-04-06T21:00:00Z","sponsored":null},{"title":"TSA Precheck: Everything You Need to Know Before Business Travel","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/tsa-precheck-everything-you-need-to-know-before-business-travel/","slug":"tsa-precheck-everything-you-need-to-know-before-business-travel","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/channel/business-basics.jpg","dek":"If you want to breeze through the airport on the way to your next meeting, these TSA pre-check tips are a must.","lastModified":"2016-04-06T21:00:00Z","published":"2016-04-06T21:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"Become a Packing Guru: The Must-have Items for Your Next Business Trip","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/the-must-have-items-for-your-next-business-trip/","slug":"the-must-have-items-for-your-next-business-trip","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/566/099b33287b1d1618b4591/1500-0-","dek":"The business trip is still important to success. See what these business owners can't live without on their business trips.","lastModified":"2015-12-08T20:00:00Z","published":"2015-12-08T20:00:00Z","sponsored":null},{"title":"No Rest for the Weary: How to Stay Happy & Healthy While Business Traveling","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/no-rest-for-the-weary-how-to-stay-happy-and-healthy-while-business-traveling/","slug":"no-rest-for-the-weary-how-to-stay-happy-and-healthy-while-business-traveling","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/556/f06d63087b1f05e8b457e/1500-0-","dek":"Here are some recently crowd-sourced tips from true road warriors on how to minimize the pain of business travel, and maximize the results.","lastModified":"2019-07-31T20:57:39Z","published":"2015-06-03T17:00:00Z","sponsored":null},{"title":"No Rest for the Weary: How to Stay Happy & Healthy While Business Traveling","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/no-rest-for-the-weary-how-to-stay-happy-and-healthy-while-business-traveling/","slug":"no-rest-for-the-weary-how-to-stay-happy-and-healthy-while-business-traveling","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/channel/business-basics.jpg","dek":"Here are some recently crowd-sourced tips from true road warriors on how to minimize the pain of business travel, and maximize the results.","lastModified":"2015-06-03T17:00:00Z","published":"2015-06-03T17:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"How to Create a Travel Allocation Plan That Grows With Your Company","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/how-to-create-a-travel-allocation-plan-that-grows-with-your-company/","slug":"how-to-create-a-travel-allocation-plan-that-grows-with-your-company","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/56b/54dcc2f87b1da27fb01a0/1500-0-","dek":"Create a budget for travel that grows with your company, thanks to these expert tips. Get ready to take to the skies!","lastModified":"2016-02-11T22:00:00Z","published":"2016-02-11T22:00:00Z","sponsored":null},{"title":"The 7 Ideal Destinations for Your Next Corporate Meeting","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/the-7-ideal-destinations-for-your-next-corporate-meeting/","slug":"the-7-ideal-destinations-for-your-next-corporate-meeting","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/57c/4e6d03287b1de0f6f0b08/1500-0-","dek":"Convention destinations need to have the space to meet your needs and amenities to keep attendees occupied.","lastModified":"2019-07-31T20:54:23Z","published":"2016-08-30T18:00:00Z","sponsored":null},{"title":"The 7 Ideal Destinations for Your Next Corporate Meeting","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/the-7-ideal-destinations-for-your-next-corporate-meeting/","slug":"the-7-ideal-destinations-for-your-next-corporate-meeting","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/channel/business-basics.jpg","dek":"Convention destinations need to have the space to meet your needs and amenities to keep attendees occupied.","lastModified":"2016-08-30T18:00:00Z","published":"2016-08-30T18:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"Staying Fit on Business Trips: The Best Hotel Room Workouts","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/staying-fit-on-business-trips-the-best-hotel-room-workouts/","slug":"staying-fit-on-business-trips-the-best-hotel-room-workouts","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/56e/04eec3287b1b30d80b43b/1500-0-","dek":"It’s hard enough to motivate and work out regularly when we have a set schedule and our neighborhood gym is right down the road.","lastModified":"2016-03-09T18:00:00Z","published":"2016-03-09T18:00:00Z","sponsored":null}],"relatedReviews":[{"doc_type":"category","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/rz/5db752e25a215e277d8b4588/Invoicing_AndreyPopov_BDC.png","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/categories/best-collections-agency-services/","title":"The Best Collection Agency Services of 2021","dek":"We've reviewed the best collection agency services for 2021. See up-to-date comparisons on features and the best prices for the top-rated agencies.","slug":"best-collections-agency-services","lastModified":"2021-03-17T16:34:00Z"},{"doc_type":"category","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/rz/5e4edd837b437442548b456d/cash_Dutko_getty.jpg","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/categories/small-business-loans-and-financing-options/","title":"The Best Business Loan and Financing Options of 2021","dek":"Many small businesses need funding to get started. Learn about the different financing options to decide which would work best for your small business.","slug":"small-business-loans-and-financing-options","lastModified":"2021-03-11T17:24:00Z"},{"doc_type":"category","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/rz/5d4c65367b43741a258b4572/Laptop_Sfio_Cracho.png","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/categories/crm-software/","title":"The Best CRM Software of 2021","dek":"Looking for the best CRM software? We have easy-to-read, expert unbiased reviews and feature comparisons of the best and cheapest programs.","slug":"crm-software","lastModified":"2021-02-24T14:09:00Z"}],"relatedSponsoredArticles":null}},"pageContext":{"displayModified":"2016-08-10T13:00:00.000Z","template":"v1","title":"5 Tips for a Successful First Business Trip to China","meta":{"robots":"index, follow"},"docType":"articles","slug":"5-tips-for-a-successful-first-business-trip-to-china","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/5-tips-for-a-successful-first-business-trip-to-china/","skipTOC":false}},"staticQueryHashes":[]}