Chinese Business Card & Travel Etiquette:
Mainland China
Deeply rooted in Chinese society is the need to belong and conform to a unit, whether the family, a political party or an organization. The family is the focus of life for most Chinese. Age and rank are highly respected. The Chinese are practical in business and realize they need Western investment, but dislike dependency on foreigners. It is very difficult to break through the "them vs. us" philosophy (foreign partner vs. Chinese), but a dual-sided business card with Simplified Chinese on one side and English on the other will go a long way to help show your respect toward their culture.

The Initial Meeting:

• Shake hands upon meeting. Chinese may nod or bow instead of shaking hands, although shaking hands has become increasingly more common.
• When introduced to a Chinese group, they may greet you with applause. Applaud back and smile.
• Senior persons begin greetings. Greet the oldest, most senior person before others. During group introductions, line up according to seniority with the senior person at the head of the line.

Names and Titles:

• Use family names and appropriate titles until specifically invited by your Chinese host or colleagues to use their given names.
• Address the Chinese by Mr., Mrs., Miss plus family name. Note: married women always retain their maiden name.
• Chinese are often addressed by their government or professional titles. For example, address Li Pang using his title: Mayor Li or Director Li.
• Names may have two parts; for example: Wang Chien. Traditional Chinese family names are placed first with the given name (which has one or two syllables) coming last (family name: Wang; given: Chien).
• Chinese generally introduce their guests using their full titles and company names. You should do the same. Example: Doctor John Smith, CEO of American Data Corporation.
  

Body Language:

• The Chinese dislike being touched by strangers. Do not touch, hug, lock arms, back slap or make any body contact.
• Clicking fingers or whistling is considered very rude.
• Never put your feet on a desk or a chair. Never gesture or pass an object with your feet.
• Blowing one's nose in a handkerchief and returning it to one's pocket is considered vulgar by the Chinese.
• To beckon a Chinese person, face the palm of your hand downward and move your fingers in a scratching motion. Never use your index finger to beckon anyone.
• Sucking air in quickly and loudly through lips and teeth expresses distress or surprise at a proposed request. Attempt to change your request, allowing the Chinese to save face.
• Chinese point with an open hand. Never point with your index finger.

Business Meetings:

• Business cards are exchanged upon meeting.
• Business cards should be printed in English on one side and Chinese on the other. Make sure the Chinese side uses "Simplified" characters for mainland China, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.
• "Traditional" characters are used in Taiwan and exclusive areas of Hong Kong.
• Business cards are always exchanged and should be done so with two hands (as a sign of respect).
• Chinese business cards represent the person to whom you are being introduced, so it is polite to study the card for a while and then put it on the table next to you or in a business card case.
• Take ample stocks of business cards as almost everyone you meet will want to exchange one with you.
• To appear at a meeting without a business card does almost irreparable damage to the business relationship; it is tantamount to refusing to shake hands at a Western business meeting.
• Before presenting your business card, you should make sure that it is clean and neat; no dog-eared corners or smudges allowed.
• Your business cards should be bilingual even if the people you are meeting read and write English.
  
• Your business card should include your title. If your company is the oldest or largest in your country, that fact should be on your card as well.
• It is best to stand up when exchanging cards.
• When presenting your card, make sure that you hold it Chinese side up, facing your contact so that he/she can read it.
• Exchange cards one-by-one, individual-to-individual, and use both hands where practical.
• NEVER distribute (or toss) your business card in a manner similar to dealing playing cards.
• NEVER place a stack of your cards on the table and offer others to take a card from the stack.
• If you are in a formal situation, it is proper to place the business card face up on the table in front of you and refer to it when necessary.
• DO NOT shove the card into your back trouser pocket.
• DO NOT write comments on another person's business card, in their presence. You may write on your own name card to add information (e.g., email, home phone number, etc.).
  

How to Order Simplified Chinese Business Cards
Need a FREE Quote? Use our express quote request form to select your target language and business card options. You can also try our How To Order page for a complete breakdown of the ordering process.

Business Card Template Samples
Don't have an original electronic file for your English business card? That's ok. We can assist you by re-creating your card layout using one of our many templates to choose from. Our multilingual template designs range from full color dual-sided printing to economy black and white, and work for a wide variety of company interests. Please feel free to check our Template Samples page for more information.

Completed Business Card Translation Showroom
Above is a rotating graphic with some sample Asian multilingual business cards fully localized for Japan, China, Taiwan and Korea. These cards are provided in just some of the 25+ languages we have to offer. To see other translated business card samples, please visit our "Completed Cards" page.