Advice about Giving Business Gifts in China
The culture of gift giving is deeply entrenched in the Chinese culture. As such, it has become part of international business etiquette. However, in China, there are a few unique twists.
Modern Chinese policy forbids gift giving as bribery, but the policy has become more relaxed in recent times. You will have to read the situation carefully, especially if you are giving a gift to a government official.
When you first offer a gift, it is likely to be declined. It is good manners to decline a gift 3 times before accepting it. Again, you will have to read the situation carefully to ensure that it is not a genuine refusal.
It is imperative to bring a gift if you are invited to a business associate's home. This shows respect to your host. Other times when it is imperative to bring gifts is during Chinese New Year or for a birthday.
The bamboo flower is an appropriate gift when a new store or business has opened, because the rings in the bamboo stem represent continual growth and income. If you are invited to a private home during the New Year celebrations and you know there will be children, come prepared with small gifts of money in red envelopes for the children.
Desirable business gifts in China include most items that are not easily obtained in China, especially when they are also handmade. Foreign cigarettes or cigars, cognac, and high quality wines and whiskeys are desirable business gifts, as is specialty high-end chocolate. A nice lower-end gift is an apple basket, because the Chinese word for apple sounds like peace. Sets of 6, 9, or especially 8 are best, because these are considered lucky numbers.
Gifts to avoid:
- Knives, scissors, or anything similar which has an edge. These kinds of gifts symbolize breaking a relationship. The same goes for slicing a pear in half and offering that half to the other person.
- Clocks. The ticking of a clock symbolizes mortality. Even the phrase "give a clock as a gift" sounds as though you are wishing the person death.
- Anything in sets of 4. This is an unlucky number, because it sounds like death.
Gifts to be careful with:
- Flowers. White flowers, especially white chysanthemums, are traditionally used for funerals. Other types of flowers may be acceptable as friendship gifts, but should be avoided as formal business gifts.
How to present the gift is as important as what is given. You may either wrap the gift or place it in a gift bag. The best colors to use are gold and red. Never use the color white for gifts or wrapping paper, and avoid blue and black wrapping paper as well.
Time your gift for when you and the recipient are alone. Never give a gift to one person in the presence of others. This is embarrassing at best, and could have serious repercussions at worst.
Present the gift using both hands, being especially careful not to do so with the left hand alone. Address the recipient of the gift with his name and title.
Do not expect the other person to open the gift in front of you. Gifts in China are not opened at the time they are received. Instead, they will be set aside, to be opened some time later, in private. If you receive a business gift, thank the giver, and do not open it in front of him.
If you receive a gift, accept it with both hands. Later, you should reciprocate with another gift. Never simply send a thank-you card.
