Chinese Business Etiquette: Meetings, Banquets, Toasts and Gifts (Practical Guide)

Last checked: 2026-11-05. Rules change; always confirm with the official source before you travel.

The deal is rarely won in the meeting room. In China it is often won, or quietly lost, at the dinner table that evening: where you sit, how you toast, whether you understood that "we will study it" meant no. None of this is hard, and Chinese hosts are generous with foreigners who get it slightly wrong. But knowing the basics shows respect, and respect builds the trust that Chinese business relationships run on. This guide is based on how meetings and dinners actually work with Chinese companies today, from big-city offices to family factories in Shanxi.

Before the meeting

• Get introduced if you can. A warm introduction from someone both sides know carries far more weight than a cold email. Trade fairs, chambers of commerce and local partners all help.
• Send an agenda and a list of attendees with titles. Hierarchy matters, and your hosts will want to match seniority on their side.
• Print bilingual business cards, English on one side and Chinese on the other, with your title clearly shown.
• Be on time. Punctuality is expected; arriving a few minutes early is normal.
• Avoid the Spring Festival period. The 2027 Spring Festival is on 6 February. Many factories close for two weeks or more around it, and decisions slow down well before. Late November to mid-January is a good window for visits.

Greetings and business cards

• A handshake is standard, usually lighter than in the US or Europe. Greet the most senior person first.
• Address people by surname plus title: 王总 (Wáng zǒng, "Director Wang"), 李经理 (Lǐ jīnglǐ, "Manager Li"). 总 (zǒng) is a polite form for a general manager or company boss.
• Give and receive business cards with both hands, text facing the other person. Read the card for a moment and place it on the table in front of you, not straight into a pocket.
• Chinese names put the surname first: in 张伟 (Zhāng Wěi), Zhang is the surname.

In the meeting

• The host usually seats the senior guest opposite or beside the senior host. Wait to be shown your seat.
• Tea is often served. Accept it; you do not have to finish it. A light tap of two fingers on the table is a common way of saying thanks when someone refills your cup.
• Expect small talk first: your flight, the city, the food. It matters; it is how your hosts get to know you.
• Speak in short sentences and pause for the interpreter. Look at the person you are speaking to, not the interpreter.
• Do not push for a decision in the first meeting. Large decisions are often made by the boss afterwards, sometimes after the dinner.

Reading "yes" and "no"

Direct refusals are uncommon because they cause loss of face (面子, miànzi) on both sides. Phrases like these often mean "probably not":

Confirm everything important in writing after the meeting, ideally in both English and Chinese: price, quantity, specification, lead time and payment terms.

The business banquet

If your hosts invite you to dinner, accept. It is where the relationship is built.

• Seating: banquets are usually held at a round table in a private room. The host sits facing the door, and the most important guest sits to the host's right. Wait to be seated.
• Ordering: the host orders, often far more food than the table can eat. Leaving a little on your plate is fine; it shows you were well fed.
• The turntable: dishes go on a glass Lazy Susan. Turn it slowly and clockwise, and let senior guests try new dishes first.
• Chopsticks: do not stick them upright in rice (it resembles incense at a funeral), and do not point with them. Use serving chopsticks or a serving spoon if provided.
• The bill: the host pays. Offering is polite; arguing about it is not. Return the favour by hosting the next dinner.

Toasts and baijiu

• The host gives the first toast. Do not drink alone before then; take a sip when someone toasts you or the table.
• "干杯" (gānbēi) literally means "dry the glass". With strong baijiu (white spirit, often over 50% alcohol) you can sip instead; people will understand.
• When clinking glasses with someone senior, hold your glass slightly lower than theirs as a sign of respect.
• Later in the meal, it is good form for the guest to stand, go to the host and toast them in return.
• Not drinking is fine. Say early and clearly that you do not drink, for health, religion or simply preference, and toast with tea or juice: 以茶代酒 (yǐ chá dài jiǔ, "tea in place of wine"). Being consistent is better than accepting once and refusing later.

Gifts

• A modest gift from your home country is ideal: a regional food speciality, a book about your city, a quality item with your company logo. Very expensive gifts can cause embarrassment and may break company or anti-corruption rules.
• Wrap gifts in red or gold. Avoid plain white or black wrapping, which is linked to funerals.
• Avoid clocks (送钟, "giving a clock", sounds like 送终, attending someone's death), knives and scissors (cutting ties), green hats (a symbol of infidelity), and sets of four (四 sì sounds like 死 sǐ, death). Eight is lucky.
• Offer the gift with both hands. A gift may be politely declined once or twice before it is accepted, and it is usually not opened in front of you.
• Give a group gift to the company or a gift to the most senior person first if you are giving several.

Following up on WeChat

Business in China runs on WeChat, not email. Expect to scan each other's QR codes at the first meeting (see essential apps).

• Send a short thank-you message the same evening, with a photo from the meeting if you have one.
• Use your real name and company in your WeChat profile so people can find you in their contacts.
• Chinese contacts often send voice messages. WeChat can convert them to text, and its translation feature helps.
• Replies tend to be fast, including evenings and weekends; you do not have to match that, but a prompt answer is appreciated.
• For orders and contracts, move the final details into a written document both sides sign.

Visiting a factory

• You may be met at the station or hotel and taken to lunch before the tour; this is normal hospitality.
• Ask before taking photos on the production line.
• Wear sensible shoes, and expect to be shown the showroom first. Ask to see the actual line, the warehouse and the QC area too. Our factory visit guide has a checklist.

Doing business in Shanxi

Shanxi has one of China's oldest merchant traditions. The Jin merchants (晋商, Jìn shāng) ran trading and banking networks across the empire, and the Rishengchang draft bank in Pingyao is often described as the forerunner of modern Chinese banking. Today the province is known for coal and energy, metals and materials, machinery, and food products such as aged vinegar (老陈醋) and Fenjiu, the baijiu from Xinghua Village in Fenyang. At a Shanxi business dinner expect noodles in many forms, such as knife-cut noodles (刀削面), a toast of Fenjiu and very warm hospitality. Plan your trip with our Shanxi guide.

Ten phrases worth learning

More everyday Mandarin is on our travel phrases page.

FAQ

What should I bring as a business gift in China?

A modest, good-quality gift from your home country, such as a regional food speciality or a book about your city, wrapped in red or gold. Avoid clocks, knives, green hats and sets of four, and avoid very expensive gifts.

Do I have to drink baijiu at a Chinese business dinner?

No. Say early that you do not drink and toast with tea or juice instead; the phrase 以茶代酒 (yǐ chá dài jiǔ) means 'tea in place of wine'. If you do drink, you can sip rather than empty the glass.

Where should I sit at a Chinese banquet?

Wait to be seated. The host usually sits facing the door and the guest of honour sits to the host's right.

Official sources

• NIA: Entry-exit and stay (residence) of foreigners