The theme of this work is "Psychological aspects, techniques and methods of professional communication with the Chinese."

China is a great neighbor of Russia. A neighbor who in recent years has been taking an increasingly active part in the economic activities of our Far East. The center of the country is losing economic ties with this region every year, and this process threatens to become irreversible. There are several reasons for this. This is remoteness, it’s a joke to say - ten thousand kilometers from Moscow, this is also a small population - only some 7-8 million people live in the territories bordering China, a little more than 5% of the total population of the country. And nearby, on the other side of the border, is a power with gigantic economic potential, with a clear development strategy. The leadership of this power announced the transition to an offensive foreign economic policy, and the main instrument of this policy is the export of capital and the creation of transnational corporations. Throughout the first half of the 21st century, the country's production will be export-oriented, which is considered in China as one of the most important engines of the economy. China plans to increase its foreign trade turnover at a faster pace than GDP growth.

China's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Russian Federation Liu Guchan said that in 2003 the trade turnover between our countries amounted to $15.76 billion, up $4 billion compared to 2002. Sino-Russian relations have entered a phase of accelerated development.

China is looking for new markets, as the state is experiencing an overproduction crisis, and Russia is a very profitable market for Chinese goods. The PRC intends to compensate for the lack of natural resources and the sales market at the expense of Russia. China considers us as a consumer of the latest technological developments and as the most economically advantageous transit zone for exporting its products to Western countries.

How to live in the world, how to do business without harming yourself, how to deal with such a powerful neighbor? The answer, as always, is on the surface - exactly the same as you would like to be treated. Respect and know. To know more about the neighbor, to know his habits, his history, his psychology. Respect its traditions, its history, its people. What is the most important thing in business and simple human communication? People. It is with people that we have to deal with when establishing any contact, business or private. Their attitude towards us is shaped by the environment in which they grew up and were brought up. And this environment is very different from ours. No matter how much we want to see European logic in the Chinese, we will never be able to do this. And this cannot be ignored.

With mother's milk, the Chinese absorb the main thing: there is only one civilized state in the world - China. The Chinese call their country the Celestial Empire. The word "China" in their native language consists of two characters: "middle, center" and "state". The literal translation thus means "middle state" and, according to Chinese thinking, everything around the center, that is, China, are barbarian states. This is the secret of the relationship between the Chinese and their partners. Everything that is important for the Chinese side is important. And if you can neglect the interests of your foreign partner, if this partner himself does not really insist on his conditions or completely trusts (which also happens) to a Chinese businessman, in the end he, this foreigner, will be the loser.

The purpose of the work is to study the psychological aspects, techniques and methods of professional communication with the Chinese.

In order to achieve the goal, it is necessary, in my opinion, to solve the following tasks:

Consider the rules of Chinese etiquette, Chinese ceremonies;

· study the customs and traditions of Chinese businessmen;

Learn the rules of professional communication with the Chinese.

1. Chinese ceremonies

1.1 Receiving guests

In ancient times, there were strictly defined ceremonies and rituals in China. Confucius (551-479 BC) attached great importance to them, emphasizing their organizing, rallying and educating role. All events in the life of the people were accompanied by the performance of appropriate ceremonies, the rules of which extended to relations between family members and between people in general. The form and ceremonial of the Confucian civilization gained great strength and continues to influence the life of the Chinese today. Strictly prescribing to him certain norms of behavior, speech, clothing, and so on. Although as the country undergoes rapid changes and expansion of relations with other peoples and cultures, the old in China is increasingly leveled, there is an increasing unification of behavior that corresponds to the norms of modern society. The visit is best done by prior arrangement. You can come to friends without a special invitation, which frees the hosts from the hassle of organizing a table. In China, the most suitable time for a visit is the afternoon. At the same time, you should not come to visit at mealtime or bedtime unless you have been previously invited. Meal time in China is somewhat earlier than in Russia. So, lunch starts at 11.30 - 12.30, dinner - at 17.30 - 18.30. After lunch, it is customary to rest until 14.00. Visiting after 21.00 is considered incorrect. According to Chinese custom, it's already late. When meeting guests, the host greets them at the door. Shaking hands is done according to the same rules as in Russia. The hosts are the first to give a hand. They shake hands with both men and women. If you, on your own initiative, lend a hand to the owners, then this will be received with joy. First, it is customary to greet the older members of the family. With close acquaintances, you can shake hands with both hands or even hug your shoulders. Kissing is not accepted. The Chinese are hospitable. They prepare well in advance and carefully for the meeting of guests. If a treat is expected, then the owners try to take into account the tastes and habits of the guests in advance. If the guest is in the house for the first time, then all family members are introduced to him. They try to make the guest feel comfortable. If it is hot, then they give him a fan or a towel to wipe his face, turn on the fan, offer soft drinks. In cold weather, the guest is seated in the warmest room, given hot tea. In winter, the premises are poorly heated, and most often they are not heated at all, so it is customary not to undress. If the guest is older, the host does not sit down first.

Young people should show their respect for elders, listen to their judgments. The host, to emphasize his respect for the guest, hands him a cup of tea with both hands. The guest should stand up, take the cup with both hands and thank. Guests can be treated with seeds, sweets, cigarettes. When fruit or food is served, do not rush to eat it first. You need to wait until other guests or elders start eating. For a guest, the host can peel an apple or a pear. The hosts make sure that the guests do not have empty plates, glasses and glasses. The wife of the owner of the house most often does not sit at the table, but only takes care of the guests. In the south, this custom is dying out, especially in the cities, the wife can be at the table. Guests should not show signs of attention to the hostess of the house, give compliments. The host, as the head of the family, plays a leading role in receiving guests and communicating with them. This has deep historical roots. According to the Confucian tradition of the ancestor cult, filial piety of xiao, family and clan, a woman occupied an unequal and humiliated position for many centuries.

In modern China, the position of women has changed. The Chinese constitution states that women enjoy equal rights with men in all areas of political, economic, cultural, social and family life. At the same time, the "legacy of the past" in one form or another can be found, although women are increasingly being promoted to leadership positions. Of course, what has been said does not mean at all that it would be inappropriate to note the culinary art and hospitality of the hostess. This will please her and the owner. Parting with the guests, the owner seeks to see them as far as possible beyond the threshold of the house, showing his respect, invites them to visit again. The guests say: “Come back; or don't see them off, goodbye!" The guests thank for the warm welcome and refreshments and say goodbye by the hand. At present, the visit procedure is becoming more free from ceremonial, especially when receiving foreign guests who do not know the intricacies of Chinese etiquette and often adhere to the rules adopted in their own country. Gifts Going to visit, the Chinese give gifts. For example, fruits, preferably in a basket or net, sweets, cakes, cookies and cakes in boxes. Relatives and close acquaintances may bring meat, fish, shrimp, cigarettes, a couple of bottles of vodka or wine, and clothes, especially for the Chunjie festival.

It is better to give foreigners sweets, cookies, cakes (nyan-gao is especially appreciated - New Year's rice cookies), good tea. Fresh cut flowers are not accepted. However, in the southern cities this tradition is gradually dying out. Artificial flowers are commercially available, but they are used as decorations at weddings and funerals, not as gifts. In China, it is customary to give paired items that symbolize unity, family harmony: two vases, two mugs, etc. Watches should not be given, especially to the elderly, as their zhong pronunciation is similar to the sound of the word "end, death." Do not give toys, children's things to a family where there are no children or are just waiting for their birth. We must not forget that if you present a gift that is too expensive, you will put people in a difficult position, who, following the principle of reciprocity, will be forced to respond with an equally, and even more expensive gift.

In China, it is customary to give gifts before leaving. They even leave them secretly so that the owners do not see them. Rarely give them immediately. It is impossible to show indifference to a gift. It is necessary to look at it, express gratitude and make a return gift. It would be polite to warn the guest not to bring gifts next time.

1.2 Congratulations and wishes

On holidays and on the occasion of solemn events, it is customary to congratulate each other. However, in China this is done less frequently than in Russia. Public holidays involve mainly official congratulations. Thus, International Women's Day on March 8 is officially celebrated in state and public organizations. In essence, it does not turn into a family holiday, when all men and children congratulate and give gifts, flowers to their close women: wives, mothers, sisters. May Day and Founding Day of the People's Republic of China (October 1) are officially celebrated. There is no such wide custom as in Russia to exchange greeting cards. The exception is specially made New Year's cards. In the literature on the rules of correspondence, it is recommended to congratulate friends and their children in the event of marriage, in the event of the birth of children from close friends, on the occasion of housewarming, the opening of trade, the birthday of grandfather and uncles on the paternal line, parents, close friends. In China, it is not customary to widely celebrate birthdays. True, in recent years, especially in urban families, birthdays are celebrated only on the occasion of an anniversary. The birthday boy receives gifts. If this is an adult, especially an elderly person, then. in response to congratulations, he gives the children money. An important family holiday is the wedding day. As the wealth of the population grows, weddings are held more and more magnificently. For their holding, the halls of the restaurant or dining room are rented. Gradually, among the youth, the number of opponents of "magnificent tables" is growing. A characteristic feature of the holiday and congratulations is the use of firecrackers and firecrackers. The stronger and longer their explosions, the more significant the event and the more solemn congratulations. (Paper powder crackers with a wick have been used by the Chinese since the 11th century as an obligatory accompaniment of New Year's ceremonies. Their deafening explosions drive away evil spirits and attract good deities). The greatest number of congratulations falls on the period of the most beloved holiday in China, Chunjie (Spring Festival), the new year according to the traditional lunar calendar.

It should be emphasized that Chunjie is strictly a family holiday, and every Chinese seeks to celebrate it in the circle of relatives. People prepare for the Chunjie holiday in advance. They clean the room, buy new clothes, food, firecrackers and rockets, prepare holiday decorations for the house. The absence of fresh flowers is replaced by colorful paper pictures with their images, which are an important element of New Year's symbols. Peonies symbolize wealth and nobility, daffodils - marital consent. On the festive evening, a gala dinner for nyan yefan is arranged. After a meal, you can not go to bed, so as not to miss your happiness. If someone still lies down on New Year's Eve to rest, then he should get up early. There is a popular belief among the people: “If you get up early on the New Year, you will get rich too early.” And in the morning they eat dumplings chiao chi, made by all family members. This custom is widespread especially in the north of China. The Chinese associate with dumplings the wishes of happy offspring and material well-being. In the south, New Year's dishes include soup with huntun dumplings and long noodles, symbolizing a long life. Three feast days follow the onset of the New Year; chuy, chuzr and chusan. On the morning of the first day, they give gifts to each other. In the old days they gave silver, gold or copper coins wrapped in red paper. Children must be given new clothes. Adults wear new clothes. Women decorate their hair with artificial or fresh flowers. On New Year's holidays, friends and relatives pay each other visits, give gifts, exchange congratulations. As gifts, there can be New Year's pictures of nianhua, which decorate the inner chambers of the house. New Year's lubok is a genre of Chinese folk art. It is now widely published in print. The symbolism of nianhua expresses the wishes of Ufu complete happiness - five traditional types of happiness: longevity, wealth, peace, virtue and death in old age (according to other interpretations - longevity, happiness, fertility, a successful career and wealth). The positive meaning of nianhua is expressed using a set of commonly understood symbols. So, the image of a cheerful boy means a wish for male offspring and family unity, bright drawings of flowers speak of the unfading freshness of life. Often, happy symbolism is created according to the principle of phonetic similarity of words: this is how fish corresponds to prosperity, since these words have the same sound yu in Chinese. Many pictures are whole compositions - rebuses; from symbols created on the principle of homonymous similarity. For example, the image of a boy standing on lotus leaves with a fish in his hands means to bring prosperity every year. Traditional in nianhua are the images of the Immortal celestial who sends profit, and the boy who attracts wealth. The symbols of longevity are drawings of a peach, pine or stork, plentiful offspring - the fruit of a pomegranate, wealth - a peony. Popular symbols of happiness are New Year's splints "cutting" harmful - reptiles, which are considered to be a scorpion, centipede, snake, lizard, spider and sometimes a toad (in the north). Traditionally, congratulations are also expressed with the help of duilian - paired inscriptions. Their New Year's version is called chunlian - spring paired inscriptions. On strips of red paper, inscriptions are made in golden hieroglyphs with wishes of happiness and good luck in the coming year. They are hung at the entrance to the house and in the rooms. In addition, there is still a tradition of hanging a talisman in the form of an image of the hieroglyph fu - happiness at the entrance to the house. Often the picture is hung upside down, thereby emphasizing its meaning. When the guests arrive with congratulations, they will make a remark: “Happiness has come,” which will sound like fu dove - happiness comes. Duilian paired inscriptions have a long tradition and combine the art of literature and calligraphy. They are carried out according to complex rules, and in order to make them accessible to the public, an approximate set of samples is given in the specialized literature. So, there is duilian for birthday greetings on anniversaries from 30 to 100 years (separately for men and women), newlyweds, new settlers, graduates of educational institutions, people opening a business. In colloquial speech, the set of wishes is limited to standard phrases like: I wish you success, successful work, health, joy. When addressing elders, they usually express calmness and well-being. The younger ones wish good studies, happiness, joy and health.

1.3 Expression of feelings

When communicating with the Chinese, one should always take into account such a feature as restraint in the manifestation of feelings. Speaking about the character of foreigners, the Chinese call it wai xiang, that is, open. And they call their character neb xiang - secretive, restrained in the manifestation of feelings, nei xiang has a synonym han xu - meaningful, with a hint, closed. This situation developed many centuries ago, when under the influence of the Confucian system of values, everything that was connected with the sphere of feelings, with the emotional beginning, personal experiences, inclinations and interests, was pushed into the background before the category of duty. It was she who for centuries largely determined the national character and rules of behavior of the Chinese. An educated person was considered only one who combined humanity and a sense of duty. Duty to society demanded to obey the accepted norms and not to go beyond the usual. Duty to the family forced a person to curb his passions and desires. Therefore, in relationships (both in society and in the family), the Chinese had to follow the accepted stereotype of behavior, control their feelings, restrain their emotions and subordinate them to the established norm. Of course, the rapidly changing life in modern China is increasingly discarding feudal traditions. Nevertheless, the Chinese themselves, speaking of the restraint of their character, compare it with a thermos, which is hot inside and cold outside. This circumstance should be taken into account when communicating with the Chinese so that your words or actions do not put you and your interlocutors in an awkward position. So, for example, in China it is considered tactless to compliment a woman, especially an unfamiliar one, related to her appearance, features of her face, figure.

2. Customs and traditions of Chinese businessmen

2.1 Traditions in business negotiations

The Chinese have great respect for themselves and their compatriots. In any case, when deciding who to give preference to, everything will be decided in favor of the Chinese. They do not curry favor with foreigners, before strangers. For them, the main thing is not to deviate from their traditions and habits.

“Two incidents come to mind in this connection. A large shopping center in Harbin. They were selling some merchandise. There was a queue in front of the counter. It was interspersed with the Chinese and our Russian "shuttles". Until the seller served the last Chinese, he did not even pay attention to our customers. And in the early 90s, an international fair was held in the Chinese city of Fuyuan, to which businessmen and representatives of the administration of the neighboring Russian region were invited. There was one woman in this delegation of ours. In the evening, the mayor of the city arranged a banquet on the occasion of the opening of the fair. By tradition, the Russian official delegation was seated at the same table with representatives of the local authorities and the ruling party. What was our amazement when the Chinese interpreter, translating the words of the host of the banquet, asked the woman to move to another table.”

It's their custom, it's their tradition. And they are not interested in the traditions and feelings of the guests. This was the case in the early 1990s, but even now little has changed. Our etiquette, including business etiquette, prescribes respect and attention to all participants in a business meeting, and especially to women, regardless of their place in business or politics. The Chinese have only equals at the negotiating table.

It is impossible to even imagine that a representative of a Chinese company, even the smallest one, would offer a seat to an interpreter, especially a female interpreter, not to mention giving her a seat. And it's not just about business negotiations.

“Somehow, a Chinese, a potential Russian businessman, who was going to register his enterprise in Russia and continue to act as a participant in foreign economic activity, turned to me for advice (fortunately, our laws allow this, unlike Chinese ones). I consult in my office. He came to the consultation accompanied by an interpreter and some other person, on whom nothing depends at the moment. Both freely, economically settled down on chairs, absolutely without complexes, remembering that they are representatives of the “middle state”, they are talking to me through an interpreter, because they themselves do not understand a word in Russian.

“At the same time, it should be borne in mind that our legislation for them is the same as a Chinese letter for us. How successfully this future entrepreneur will start his business in Russia now depends on his translator, on how accurately she will be able to combine illiterate questions in Chinese (and I must say that not necessarily rich and literate Chinese come to us, but mostly those who seek to make capital in Russia) with competent answers in Russian and convey these answers to their employer. But this particular person is not supposed to sit down, despite my invitation. This is their custom, and it operates everywhere, not only on the territory of their native state.

When conducting any business negotiations with a Chinese businessman, at any level, one should remember: the Chinese are not accustomed to making hasty decisions. They prefer the path of lengthy discussions and agreements, but when a decision is made, it is quickly and consistently implemented. If you want to succeed, you will have to reckon with Chinese traditions. So, for example, the Chinese have a certain time for eating, and this tradition should never be violated by them. In China, conversations can only be held until a strictly defined time - in the afternoon, a maximum of 12-00, and in the afternoon - up to five o'clock in the evening, at the latest until 17-30. After that, the time comes for the Chinese, close to dinner, at six or six thirty they should be at home with their families. If you try to break this tradition due to our habit of working to the limit, then most likely you will fail. Chinese food has a rare variety. At official receptions in honor of guests, there are usually no less than twelve dishes. Many of them, in the opinion of a European, are exotic - traditional types of dishes can have a purely Chinese specificity. In order not to offend the hosts, you should not refuse these dishes, in extreme cases, you can refer to diseases that do not allow you to eat this or that dish.

Traditionally, the Chinese eat with chopsticks - at work, at home, and even abroad. If you are offered to try eating with chopsticks, in no case refuse: firstly, it is not so difficult to learn how to use them, and secondly, even if your attempts are unsuccessful, your very desire will be evidence of respect for the traditions of the owners.

If the reception of guests or business negotiations are held in the office or at work, then they usually begin with tea. During negotiations or communication with the Chinese, various forms of address can be used. You can call them either according to their position, or simply “Mr. So-and-so,” “Comrade So-and-so.” Recently, it has become a tradition in China to exchange business cards. At the same time, the presentation of the card is accompanied by a special ritual, it is not just handed over, but solemnly presented, holding it with both hands. When communicating with the Chinese, you must always keep a certain distance, show respect for the interlocutor, since they are usually restrained, stingy in expressing their feelings. Always, under any circumstances, one must remember: it is impossible to impose anything on the Chinese. China and its people need to be understood and studied. Just like they study us. It is not for nothing that in recent years the study of the Russian language and Russian traditions has been very popular in China.

2.2 Customs of Chinese businessmen working in Russia

In recent years, Chinese citizens have been opening their firms in Russia with increasing intensity. Being Russian enterprises in status, they are essentially Chinese, with their own charters, traditions, and routine. Chinese laws apply inside. Such “Russian” enterprises are created with one goal: to purchase goods on our territory, as a rule, timber, raw materials, with maximum profit, and export it to themselves, but to China, where it will be sold at a higher price.

The same Chinese usually work in such "Russian" firms. Strong family, clan and clan relations to some extent determine the preservation and effectiveness of social institutions such as the family, community, professional associations. The Chinese working in Russia maintain strong ties with their homeland - both personal and cultural, as well as economic and political. They solve the issue of staffing a developing business by inviting relatives from China, and the accumulated capital, as a rule, is invested in the Chinese economy.

Modern Chinese living outside the PRC are very different in their behavior from those who remained at home, but they do not become like Western people with their hypertrophied consumption and corresponding attitude to things and money. If Russian citizens work in such a company, then the requirements for them are the same as for the Chinese working there. In all the mode of the strictest economy. Each ruble of salary for a qualified Russian specialist, without whom, in fact, they cannot even take a step on the territory of Russia, whether it be relations with authorities or simple execution of bank documents, is discussed for several hours and agreed with the owner in China. And when agreeing on a contract with Russian partners, negotiations can last for two days in order to reduce the price by 2 cents. The same prudence, if not even more strict, is observed in relation to their Chinese workers. Newly minted "Russian" businessmen often do not even bother to open an office. As a rule, they have it located in the same place where they live, sleep, eat. Moreover, both managers and workers live together in Spartan conditions. Hired Russian specialists also come to work here. Here, as a rule, negotiations are held with Russian partners. If the partner is serious, and a lot depends on him, the place of negotiations is determined by some Chinese restaurant, of which there are a great many open.

3. Rules for professional communication with the Chinese

3.1 Rules for professional communication visiting Chinese

The Chinese like to appoint a meeting place in their office or in the meeting rooms of various public places (hotels, restaurants, business centers). If the priority of choosing and appointing a place for negotiations belongs to the Chinese, it would be appropriate to ask the opposing side where exactly they are arranging a meeting, what kind of place it is, what will be the full program of negotiations. Usually, Chinese companies have a tradition of combining negotiations with subsequent refreshments. It is not always convenient to refuse this, but when it comes as a complete surprise to you, it will not be easy for you to refuse and, most importantly, to be understood by the Chinese. Eating in China is part of the negotiation process, refusing food is sometimes perceived as an insult or an insult (especially if lunch or dinner is already ordered in advance). However, it should be noted that the lack of advance notice of the planned joint meal by the Chinese is also a gross violation of etiquette, including Chinese. Almost always, such events are discussed with foreign guests in advance.

If there is no clear delineation of responsibilities for choosing a place of negotiations between the parties, and you do not feel constrained in choosing such a place, you better choose something that suits you best in terms of the style and habits of the white man. Usually, if the place of negotiations is appointed by the Russian side, this inspires respect from the Chinese partner. Especially if this place is chosen in a purely Western business style (special meeting rooms at hotels, specialized business centers for foreigners, Russian institutions abroad). The further course of negotiations and the attitude of the Chinese side largely depend on the meeting place at the first meeting, if the Chinese understand that you paid a lot of money for renting an apartment, or when the meeting takes place on the territory of diplomatic institutions. This obliges the Chinese to be serious, gives you additional trump cards in terms of psychological impact on your partner, and facilitates the negotiation process in the direction you need.

3.2 Rules for professional communication with the Chinese invited to visit

When planning a meeting with the Chinese on your own territory, in no case should you accept the invitation of the Chinese partner (if the initiative comes from him) without specifying in advance the place of negotiations. It is likely that the Chinese simply invite you to their hotel room for "couch talks." Agreements reached during such "gatherings" usually end in nothing. The Chinese who came to Russia are determined to find out the level of their partner's solvency, assess the degree of his interest in the deal, and will do this on the basis of the practical steps he takes towards them. The appointment of a "worthy" place for negotiations is half the success.

If a Russian businessman does not have a well-equipped meeting room in his office, it is better to negotiate on neutral territory when you first meet. The transfer of subsequent negotiations to his office will pleasantly surprise the Chinese and give him an extra plus. Do not be afraid to be caught in "throwing dust in the eyes." As perhaps the biggest poseurs in the world, the Chinese rarely notice this vice in Europeans, unless, of course, they go too far. When demonstrating your financial position and property wealth, it is important to observe a certain middle ground, in no case showing that the surprise and admiration of the Chinese (who can be thousands of times richer than a Russian entrepreneur) flatters his pride and that it was precisely this effect that he was trying to achieve with all this demonstration. . Modesty produces the greatest effect, especially when it is natural.

3.3 Clothing

You don't have to try to stand out. But one should also not be afraid to appear rich as well - wealth and expensive things are very prestigious in China. You should adhere to the business style as much as possible, avoiding excesses in clothing and especially jewelry. Business women and wives should avoid excessively revealing necklines and defiantly short skirts above the knees. Extravagance in the clothes of a business person can cause an inadequate reaction of the Chinese negotiating partner, especially at the first meetings of the negotiating parties.

3.4 Finding a partner

The Chinese are extremely distrustful in matters of doing business, especially if it involves commercial risk. Finding a worthy partner in China is extremely difficult despite the large population and the high density of various commercial structures in cities. Any proposal coming from a European is perceived in advance by the Chinese as a "surprise with a catch." Quite often one can encounter in China with undisguised hostility towards an unfamiliar European. This leads to an important conclusion for the conditions of China: any process of finding a partner should begin with the choice of an intermediary - a conductor of your thoughts.

As a rule, in China there is a fairly wide choice of such intermediaries: from gloomy personalities at airports and railway stations to sticky "translators" at exhibitions and hotels. If a businessman has not taken care in advance to find a trustworthy intermediary through a consulting firm, a travel agency, personal acquaintances, then in any case he should avoid contact with the above-mentioned personalities.

The search for a Chinese partner is necessary and can be started at home. To do this, first of all, one should very carefully study all the available country-specific literature on China. In the future, knowledge of the realities will greatly facilitate communication with the Chinese. It should be noted that China, much like the former Soviet Union, is a very multinational country. Moreover, even the main nation of the country - the Chinese ("Han" - from the ancient name of the Chinese principality of Han - as they call themselves) differ so much in appearance, language and cultural traditions that they can essentially be considered different nationalities. The only thing that connects all these peoples in this case is hieroglyphic writing. Short southerners - lovers of fruits and vegetables, who consider plus 20 degrees Celsius almost frost - will not understand without an interpreter a "meat-eater" - a northerner who does without a headdress even at minus 35. But as soon as they write down their words in hieroglyphs, they are a great friend get along with a friend.

If a businessman wants to find a smart and quirky partner who will understand him perfectly, will be ready to go to minor violations of the law in order to avoid excessive costs for product certification, customs costs, then it is better for him to look for him in the northern provinces of China: Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, Jilin. However, at the same time, he must be prepared for the fact that his temperamental friend can easily ignore his agreements with him.

The recently famous South China will give the domestic businessman a more civilized and more law-abiding partner. However, this does not mean that southerners will be more accommodating or pliable in business matters. Quite the contrary: experience, erudition, commercial literacy, awareness, and the perfection of financial instruments give southerners serious trump cards in negotiations with him.

The division of the Chinese into northern and southern is very conditional. The south of China is certainly more economically developed and famous for its consumer goods. The north - Manchuria - is the base of heavy industry, a buffer zone of trade with Russia, replete not only with intermediaries greedy for profit, but also with serious partners. At the same time, many northerners work in the South, and many people from the southern provinces work in the North. So everything is determined in the end by the ultimate goal of a businessman. There are, of course, a number of formed stereotypes even in China. For example, Shanghainese (not necessarily indigenous - just residents of Shanghai!) Are considered the most intelligent, cunning and lucky. And the inhabitants (here, rather, the natives) of the Henan province are considered slow-witted, stupid, simpletons.

You can directly search for a partner in several ways:

Through acquaintances - one of the most effective and less costly ways. It is worth noting, however, that there is a very high probability of deception by professional swindlers specially brought to the domestic businessman, who are no less in China than in Russia. This method should be approached with great care.

Through specialized offices - a rather expensive, but, nevertheless, effective way. In this case, a Russian entrepreneur can become a client of specialized intermediary companies, translation agencies, trading houses, consulting firms, etc.

3.5 Business communication tactics

The Chinese are famous for their patience, endurance, punctuality and ceremoniality. However, the famous Chinese trick is a nominal and subjective category. In most cases, this is just an attempt by the white man to justify his lack of restraint and his inability to understand Chinese psychology. Despite the fact that by no means all Chinese have the above qualities of character, many of the inherent or attributed to them virtues should by no means be ignored. If a Russian businessman is not familiar with the word "restraint", one should think about whether it is necessary to contact the Chinese at all.

It is also impossible to start your business with the Chinese, being sure in advance of the “correctness” or exclusivity of your own style of doing business. Polite Chinese people will be happy to know what you are and your style, but they will never come to think that your style is better than theirs.

Approaching the entrance to the room with you, the Chinese will definitely offer you to go first. In response, you should offer to do the same to him, and only after he refuses, you can go forward.

Like this custom, the whole process of negotiating with the Chinese is a continuous series of retreats, attacks, diversions and detours, deceptions, demarches, bluffs and even threats.

The most common Chinese negotiation techniques are:

· Tight control over the schedule and venue of negotiations. If the Chinese feel that the Russian side has spent a lot of money and time to come to China and does not want to leave empty-handed, the Chinese may behave at the negotiating table with deliberate indifference to their success or failure, overpricing or imposing harsh conditions. . Sometimes the Chinese only negotiate "for practice." In other cases, in particular on Russian territory, the Chinese are conducting “empty negotiations” in order to bring down the prices of goods purchased in Russia (“deceit tactics”, when numerous groups of Chinese conduct grueling negotiations, ending in nothing allegedly due to “high Russian prices");

· Insinuations or direct threats to do business anywhere or with anyone else other than you if their requirements are not met. Usually, such a technique has a very effective effect on the Chinese side, as well as all other methods of "Chinese cunning" directed against their inventors;

Demonstration of anger. Although according to Confucian etiquette, the manifestation of anger, irritation, as well as joy, is not welcome, the Chinese can afford to portray controlled anger in order to test the nerves and composure of the opposite side. It is understood that foreigners will be afraid of losing the contract and will make concessions.

· Quality control. If the Chinese feel that the businessman has calculated everything to the smallest detail and that he is 100 percent sure of the success of the contract, they can deliberately make a demarche in order to disorient him and make him doubt his own rightness (the ultimate goal is additional concessions on his part).

· Flattery. Sometimes the Chinese resort to rude and undisguised flattery - praising both the personal qualities of a businessman and business talents. You should not go on about your own "ego" to the detriment of your own business.

· Knowing the departure date of a businessman can become another trump card in the hands of the Chinese. The adoption of the final decision will be postponed under various pretexts until the last moment, until the patience of the businessman comes to an end. According to the Chinese, his fear that he will leave without signing a contract will force him to give in. The antidote is to reserve multiple departure dates and be prepared to stay longer than planned if you feel there is a realistic chance of success. Active Defense: Deliberately tell the Chinese the date of departure a day later, and in case they delay resolving any issues, tell them the day before the actual departure date that you are leaving tomorrow, not the day after tomorrow (as previously planned).

"The tactic of exhaustion". Dragging out negotiations in order to cause impatience and irritation in a foreign partner. Especially Russians want to quickly finish official business and take care of personal ones. The Chinese will skillfully lead a businessman along the path of combining exhausting negotiations during the day and unlimited entertainment in the evening and at night.

· Using the actions and words of a businessman against himself. During negotiations, the Chinese will carefully note his words and will not miss the opportunity to catch him in a contradiction or catch him in a lie. You should try to be careful, naming specific numbers, even in conversations with your comrades.

· Artificial overpricing. The Chinese may be prepared to make concessions in advance, up to the level of their initial asking prices, but first they will lower (Chinese buying) or inflate (Chinese selling) prices to an absurdly unacceptable level.

3.6 Techniques and techniques to help you when negotiating with the Chinese

· Be fully prepared for negotiations. Sitting down at the negotiating table, you should know all aspects of doing business, including the technical details of the deal. Be prepared for the fact that you will have to give long and detailed explanations about the mechanism of work on your part. Be careful not to give important commercial or technical information before the full signing of the contract.

• Confront interests. If negotiations are going poorly, it is not shameful to remind the other side that they are not the only contenders for the role of partners. Competition among Chinese manufacturers is very strong, and there is always an alternative manufacturer or supplier for any product in China. If price is a problem, you can always try to find a cheaper item. If quality is a problem, Japanese or Taiwanese manufacturers may offer a better product.

· Be prepared to put up with the cost of the trip and return home empty-handed. Make it clear to the Chinese that the lack of results for you is a perfectly acceptable alternative to a bad deal.

· Work out all the details of the contract before signing. Negotiate all points with the Chinese side. Make sure the Chinese people interpret all the points the same way you do.

· Be attentive to all remarks and remarks. Look again at everything the Chinese side said and ask for clarification of any ambiguities.

· Bargain like the Chinese do. Be prepared to compromise, but don't give up any position without a fight.

· Remain calm and unflappable during negotiations. Even if you went out at night like good buddies, try to block personal moments during negotiations. Show the Chinese that good business comes first.

· Be patient. The Chinese are sure that Europeans are always in a hurry. They will try to force you to sign a contract before you study all the nuances of the deal and negotiate all the details.

· Approach negotiations and all business with the Chinese in terms of a long-term strategy. Some concessions to the Chinese in some individual moments can turn into significant benefits in the long run.

· Jokes. If you want to tell a joke or just have a joke, try it first on your Chinese translator or on a Chinese person you know. The humor of situations is not perceived by the Chinese. If you really want to cheer up the Chinese, learn a few Chinese proverbs: your pronunciation alone will cheer up the Chinese. Your efforts in mastering the language will also be admired. If you are not sure about the meaning of certain Chinese words, it is better not to use them. For example, you can jokingly compare someone to a monkey, but comparing a Chinese person to a dog is an insult.

3.7 Security measures

If a businessman is a seller or buyer of military or dual-use goods, then he will certainly face attention from Chinese special services. The Chinese will try to get as much information as possible, firstly, about his plans, secondly, about his powers, thirdly, about his personal data. The goal pursued in this case is to get the maximum possible benefit from the transaction.

Chinese intelligence agencies are extremely reluctant to use technical means, although in many cases one cannot be absolutely guaranteed against this. At the same time, it should be taken into account that living in a hotel that is jointly (Chinese-American, Chinese-Japanese) property, and even more so 100% owned by a foreign company, gives much more chances that the Chinese will not dare even in the event of an extreme the need to use listening devices. This does not guarantee, however, that the hotel's junior staff (almost always Chinese) will not show an increased interest in the contents of business papers or in the files of a Russian entrepreneur's laptop computer. The risk rises sharply if he stays in departmental "reception houses", state dachas, sanatoriums or in a 100% Chinese hotel. The chances of being settled in a "plus" number are very, very high.

The use of various anti-technical devices, such as scanners, etc., is highly undesirable: the Chinese can turn such actions against the one who uses them in 99.9% of cases, even if he finds a dozen "bugs" in his room. In general, it is believed that technical methods of removing commercial information are used only at the highest level or when conducting any disinformation or recruitment operations. The level of technical equipment of the Chinese in this area has recently become quite high. However, even the most sophisticated method can be countered with elementary tricks: “do not speak”, “do not do”, always keep the TV or radio on, carefully destroy all notes on papers, do not leave documents and a computer unattended. In the latter case, if there are still situations when it is necessary to leave the computer in the room, it is recommended that you either dump all critical information on a floppy disk and take it with you, or use programs like PGP-disk to create virtual cryptomodules (cipher programs open to civilians). use).

Another feature of Chinese psychology is "do everything to the end." In practice, a businessman may encounter this when, after signing a contract, or even after transferring money, he allows himself to relax somewhere outside the reach (as it seems to him) of his partners: at the border station, in a train compartment, in a car on the way to the airport . There were cases when critical information was taken from people on the airstairs.

China is considered a country with one of the lowest crime rates against foreigners. However, do not flatter yourself about this: even in the classiest hotel, an expensive camera can be stolen from a businessman right from under his nose, not to mention pickpocketing. But this is something that probably exists in any country and that depends more on his personal caution and attentiveness.

Most of all, in China and in dealing with the Chinese, “careless treatment of people” is to be feared. Too much confidence, too much familiarity, too much impudence, or too much rudeness can cause very, very sad consequences.

The basic rule of doing business with the Chinese is don't make enemies! The Chinese are vindictive and vengeful. At the same time, they are also so impulsive in their actions that it is easy to become a victim of Chinese intemperance in China.

The main rule for avoiding "extreme measures" in relation to themselves by the Chinese is not to make the Chinese feel "lost face." The concept of "losing face" is multifaceted, and foreigners like to talk about it a lot - almost like the Japanese "hara-kiri". But in practice, you need to remember only one thing: when humiliating, insulting, deceiving the Chinese (willingly or unwittingly, with or without a subsequent feeling of repentance), try to make sure that as few Chinese as possible know about it, except for himself. “Loss of face” is a social phenomenon! And deceit (cunning) or insult for the Chinese in themselves are not something terrible. On the contrary: deceit is an indicator of intelligence, and insult is an indicator of inner strength! But if a few more Chinese know about it or, God forbid, it was seen, and even more so by those close and respected by this Chinese, this is already a “loss of face”, a loss of authority in the eyes of others.

It's not far from a public or behind-the-scenes announcement of a vendetta for you. And the Chinese won’t have a problem with the technique of executing such a vendetta! It can be a promissory note you forgot five years ago pulled out into the light of day, and photographs or videos of stormy fun taken during the time of “friendship”, and even an “executioner” hired for a couple of tens of thousands of yuan from a distant city - as the last argument. The Chinese are extremely promiscuous in the means and methods of resolving commercial disputes. Especially when it comes to large sums.

Conclusion

Let's summarize the work done. When dealing with Chinese, the most important thing is to avoid situations in which you can embarrass the Chinese in the presence of his compatriots. Critical remarks are made only face to face. It is also allowed to use the services of a third party, especially if the comments are addressed to a person with a high social status. In this case, the intermediary must be chosen very carefully. He must be a person, firstly, disinterested and, secondly, respected by the Chinese side. If you want to make critical comments in writing, it is best to mark your message as "confidential" so that the letter does not fall into the hands of the secretary. Do not under any circumstances undermine the authority of the Chinese leader in the eyes of his subordinates!

Respond to business letters, requests, offers and invitations as quickly as possible. By the way, one of the main claims of Chinese businessmen to European and American partners is the slow consideration of issues. Even if you are not immediately ready to respond to a request, let us know immediately that you have accepted it. The well-known American businessman Arthur Ridley, who specialized in large international contracts, admitted that when working with the Chinese, he hired at least two additional managers: a specialist in Chinese business etiquette and an “accelerator” of business correspondence.

By hook or by crook, the Chinese strive for the partner to be the first to open their cards, that is, to express their own point of view, make an offer, name the price, etc. The Chinese themselves usually speak out only towards the end of the negotiations, when they fully appreciate the real positions of the opposite side. In business communication with the Chinese, it often seems that negotiations have reached an impasse, but at this very moment they make more realistic proposals, agree to some concessions and offer compromise solutions. It is difficult to talk with the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire, but if the agreement is reached, you can be sure that they will not deviate from their obligations one iota.

In no case do not miss official and protocol events. It is customary to bring gifts to banquets and receptions, a bottle of wine, for example, or a fruit basket will always be appropriate. If you are invited to a Chinese house, please arrive a little earlier. It is supposed to leave shortly after dinner is over. During dinner, you should try all the dishes. A gift or an additional portion of food must first be politely refused, while the giver or treat, in accordance with the same ritual, must show some perseverance. The gift is accepted with both hands.

According to European custom, gifts are unpacked immediately, which is completely contrary to Chinese etiquette, which suggests that gifts are considered after the givers have left. If you have just met a Chinese, you should call him by his last name. Traditional business attire is a conservative dark blue or gray suit, a strict, dim tie, a white shirt, and black boots. Representatives of the Eastern nations do not allow themselves to take off their jackets or loosen their ties during business negotiations. According to Chinese etiquette, the glass is held in the right hand, but at the same time supported by the left. The guest of honor is the first to taste the dish and the first to leave the table. According to the same Arthur Ridley, “it is almost impossible to reach negotiations with the Chinese, it is absolutely unbearable to work with them at the negotiation stage, but after signing the contract, their business scrupulousness, clarity and honesty make the Chinese one of the best business partners in the world.”

1. Alimov I.A., Ermakov M.E., Martynov A.S. The Middle State: An Introduction to Chinese Traditional Culture. Moscow, publishing house "Ant", 2004 - 287 pages;

2. Bazhenova E.S., Ostrovsky A.V. The population of China. Moscow, publishing house "Thought", 1991 - 237 pages;

3. Ganshin G.A. Economic reform in China: evolution and real results. Moscow, publishing house "Eastern Literature", 2005 - 207 pages;

4. Kravtsova M.E. History of Chinese culture. Textbook for universities. St. Petersburg, publishing house "Lan", 2004 - 415 pages;

5. Kulikov V.S. The Chinese about themselves. Moscow, Politizdat publishing house, 1989, 256 pages;

6. Larin V.L. China and the Russian Far East in the first half of the 1990s: problems of regional interaction. Vladivostok, publishing house "Dalnauka", 1998 - 283 pages;

7. Ma Guiu. Looking for a partner: Introducing Chinese enterprises (reference book) Moscow, RAN publishing house, 1994 - 97 pages;

9. Potapov M.A. China's foreign economic policy: problems and contradictions. Moscow, publishing house "Bukva", 2005 - 318 pages;

10. Titarenko M.L. People's Republic of China. Politics, economics, culture. Moscow, publishing house "Eastern Literature", 1996 - 434 pages;

11. Titarenko M.L. China: Civilization and Reform. Moscow, publishing house "Republic", 2003 - 256 pages.

Titarenko M.L. People's Republic of China. Politics, economics, culture. Moscow, publishing house "Eastern Literature", 1996. – p.252

Titarenko M.L. People's Republic of China. Politics, economics, culture. Moscow, publishing house "Eastern Literature", 1996. – p154

A ceremony is the official part of a public event. For example, the opening of a new monument, the solemn launching of a ship, the presentation of awards to outstanding personalities - all these are ceremonies. However, this word in various variations can be heard without reference to high-profile events. Often it sounds in private conversations and business conversations, acquiring unusual nuances.

semantic meaning

In various dictionaries, this term is interpreted in approximately the same way. A ceremony is a ritual, that is, a rite performed in compliance with established rules. The word comes from the Latin caeremonia, which literally means "solemnity, reverence, reverence."

In all likelihood, the first ceremonies are pagan or church rites. Today, this word is also used to refer to the solemn part of social events, government meetings, international meetings and other events where protocol requires compliance with the rules of etiquette.

What are the ceremonies

Marriage registration, church wedding, baptism, burial, wreath-laying, graduation - all these are, of course, ceremonies. When carrying out these rituals and acts, according to traditions and charters, a series of actions are performed in a certain order. Ceremonies can also include, for example, the inauguration of the president, the inauguration of the governor, the reception of a foreign ambassador, the taking of the oath by military personnel, and even the changing of the guard at the Eternal Flame.

But sometimes this word sounds with an ironic connotation, which implies tension in relationships, exaggerated politeness, grandiloquent speeches in everyday situations. "Let's go without ceremony!" This is a call to discard conventions, to be easier in communication, to get down to business without long introductions. The meaning of the previous statement is benevolent, setting up a friendly wave. But in the phrase: “No one is going to stand on ceremony with you,” a threat is already heard. It becomes clear that a person can be treated rudely, incorrectly, harshly.

Figurative meaning of the word "ceremony"

Any lengthy process that encounters objective or perceived obstacles is jokingly called a ceremony. For example, paying for goods in a store, checking into a hotel room, obtaining a certificate from a housing office, and similar boring actions that are delayed due to the observance of unnecessary conventions or bureaucratic delays.

Sometimes the noun "ceremony" becomes synonymous with the word "shyness." This is clearly felt in the following phrase: "Abandoning all sorts of ceremonies, he decided to get acquainted with the girl he liked." Or in I. A. Goncharov’s novel “An Ordinary Story”: “Well, I will continue to shave without ceremony, and you sit right here.”

Chinese ceremonies

In the countries of the East, where tea is a traditional and almost sacred drink, serving it is elevated to the rank of a special art. The most commonly heard are Japanese and Chinese tea ceremonies. In time, this sacrament, reminiscent of a theatrical performance, can take more than an hour.

Each guest will be allowed to feel the aroma of dry tea leaves, which will then be filled with water heated to a certain temperature. Then the process of brewing, mixing, pouring, tasting will follow. The person performing the ritual performs actions slowly, in a certain order, to the beat of a monotonous sounding music. Everything looks unusually beautiful and bewitching.

In some European languages, there is a stable expression "Chinese ceremonies". The meaning of a phraseological unit implies the fulfillment of unnecessary formalities in interpersonal or business relationships. When asked about the reason for the divorce from his wife, the young man replied that he was tired of the Chinese ceremonies established in her family. Every morning he had to call his mother-in-law and father-in-law to wish them a good day. The same procedure was repeated in the evening.

Interestingly, the phrase "Chinese ceremonies" has nothing to do with traditional oriental tea parties. The origin of phraseologism is connected with the complex palace etiquette that existed in ancient China. To get an audience with the emperor, the European ambassadors had to perform a number of intricate rituals. Not everyone was able to go through these obstacles to the end, which was the reason for the emergence of phraseology.

Etymology of the word "ceremony"

The encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron indicates that the term caeremonia (ceremonia) in Roman religion denoted any rite that implied communication between a person and higher, divine powers. Regarding the origin of the word, philologists do not have an unambiguous opinion. Perhaps it was formed from the name of the Etruscan city of Caere. There is a version that it is based on the verb caedere (kill, sacrifice). Common Italic also had the word cerus, used in the same sense as the Latin genius (demon). Nevertheless, the mysterious cult term of antiquity in modern speech has acquired a completely secular sound.

Chinese ceremonies Shuttle. Iron. Excessive politeness, excessive conventions in relations between people. Between friends and relatives, I believe, one can do without Chinese ceremonies, especially in penny accounts.(Chekhov. Letter to G. M. Chekhov, Feb. 9, 1888).

Phraseological dictionary of the Russian literary language. - M.: Astrel, AST. A. I. Fedorov. 2008 .

Synonyms:

See what "Chinese ceremonies" are in other dictionaries:

Chinese ceremonies- scrupulousness, stiffness, ceremony Dictionary of Russian synonyms. Chinese ceremonies adverbs, number of synonyms: 5 politeness (32) ... Synonym dictionary

Chinese ceremonies- CHINESE, oh, oh. Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 ... Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov

Chinese ceremonies- Razg. Shuttle. iron. Tiresome and unnecessary conventions; excessive display of politeness; meaningless etiquette. FSRYA, 514; BTS, 1462; BMS 1998, 613 ...

Chinese ceremonies- iron. Excessive, exaggerated politeness ... Dictionary of many expressions

ceremonies- see ceremony Dictionary of synonyms of the Russian language. Practical guide. M.: Russian language. Z. E. Alexandrova. 2011. ceremonies n., number of synonyms: 4 ... Synonym dictionary

ceremonies- ▲ courtesy excessive ceremony excessive courtesy. ceremony. stand on ceremony. ceremonious. stand on ceremony. Chinese ceremonies (joke). haberdashery [treatment]. stiffness. prim. ton. | zirlich manirlich (colloquial) ... Ideographic Dictionary of the Russian Language

ceremonies- ii, pl. Conventions in behavior, treatment, characteristic of a ceremonial person. What are these ceremonies? Phew, he's not ashamed! // Pushkin. Captain's daughter //; The main thing is not to pay attention to him: he does not like ceremonies! // Turgenev ... Dictionary of forgotten and difficult words from the works of Russian literature of the 18th-19th centuries

Chinese chopsticks- Wooden chopsticks Chopsticks are a pair of small chopsticks, a traditional cutlery in East Asia. The four countries where chopsticks are predominantly used are China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. In Thailand, with an introduction to ... ... Wikipedia

Russian-Chinese projects in 2014- The visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to China in May 2014 marked the beginning of several major investment projects and launched a number of cooperation agreements between the two countries. About 40 agreements in energy, banking,… … Encyclopedia of newsmakers

CEREMONY- Chinese ceremonies. Razg. Shuttle. iron. Tiresome and unnecessary conventions; excessive display of politeness; meaningless etiquette. FSRYA, 514; BTS, 1462; BMS 1998, 613 ... Big dictionary of Russian sayings

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Yes, - said Kawabata thoughtfully, - but, in fact, this drawing is scary. We are distinguished from animals only by those rules and rituals that we have agreed with each other. Breaking them is worse than dying, because only they separate us from the abyss of chaos that begins right at our feet - if, of course, the blindfold is removed.

Viktor Pelevin. "Chapaev and Void"

A long time ago, stable phrases such as “Chinese letter”, “Chinese policeman”, “Chinese ceremonies” and other expressions connected in one way or another with China entered the Russian language and forever remained in it. What is a “Chinese letter”, you could learn in general terms from one of the previous chapters, what is a “Chinese policeman”, I don’t really know myself, but we will now deal with the “ceremonies”. Or rather, with the stereotypical idea of ​​our person that the Chinese are people with refined manners, whose relationships are built on the basis of long and complex ceremonies, bows to the ground and polite smiles.

By the way, why do we think so about them? Someone probably built his idea only on the basis of the very meaning of the Russian expression "Chinese ceremonies", transferring this very meaning from allegory to real life. Someone just confused China with some other country (there was once a popular song on the radio with a completely meaningless phrase “a Chinese woman in a kimono”; Chinese women don’t wear kimonos, but the authors of stupid pop music don’t give a damn about this). Those who read a couple of abstruse works on Chinese philosophy will definitely remember Confucius with his ritual and five thousand years, that is, a very respectable age of Chinese civilization (it is probably assumed that spreading ceremonies and refined politeness should have developed over these thousands of years by themselves ...) . In short, no one has really gone into details yet. Well, in order.

The phrase “Chinese ceremonies” is interesting not only because it is an integral part of the great and mighty Russian language, but also because, upon closer examination, one can find some curious signs of bygone days in it. In fact, the era in which lively contacts between foreigners (including Russians) with China began occurred in the later years of the reign of the Qing imperial dynasty there. Naturally, the overseas barbarians (that is, uh ... guests) had to communicate primarily not with the common people, but with the bureaucratic elite of the Chinese state; in turn, the life of large and small officials was really scrupulously organized in accordance with the archaic notions of the Chinese about how a Confucian ritual should look like. The same can be said about the then Chinese office work. Thus, one of the first things that a foreigner in China noticed was these utterly complicated ceremonies, endless bows and an unimaginably ramified hierarchy of the bureaucratic machine. Is it any wonder that many have come to believe all this is an integral characteristic of all of China?

There is no doubt that the rantings of Confucius, his students and followers about the ritual, indeed, as already mentioned, had a strong impact on the formation of bureaucratic etiquette, palace and bureaucratic rituals. But do not forget that the bureaucracy, despite its large number, was still only a tiny part of Chinese society, and the common people have always lived, guided not by palace rituals, but by their very simple concepts. In addition, the Qing Empire ceased to exist a hundred years ago, and after it the famous “Chinese ceremonies” gradually went to the dump. Therefore, if you want to be bowed and smiled very, very diligently, you need to go not to China, but, say, to Japan.

Let's not forget that the 1949 revolution and the subsequent rule of the CCP in China greatly accelerated the death of all the above-mentioned ritual procedures. If under the Kuomintang Republic officials still sometimes tried to appeal to Confucian concepts, then under the Communists, “centralized democracy” and the opinion of the party cell began to play the main role. The words "comrade", "proletarian revolution" and "working class" have been replaced by numerous bows and elaborate rituals...

Of course, when it comes to festive rituals like the Chinese New Year, or such a specific event as a Chinese wedding, you can find a lot of old, traditional features there. In the case of a wedding, it is sometimes impossible not to notice the revival of ceremonies that disappeared under socialism. But here I would like to briefly tell you not about the holidays (many interesting books have long been written on this subject), but about some features of the current everyday culture and everyday life of our eastern neighbors.

Or rather, about the almost complete absence of such a culture. I foresee the indignant cries of those “lovers of everything Chinese”, whose ideas about their object of adoration were formed at best as a result of reading the novel “A Dream in the Red Chamber”, watching historical Chinese films and TV reports about blooming spring gardens in Hangzhou: how, they say, yes How dare you, but Chinese culture is five thousand years old! Why, she is the most ancient and the wisest! Why, Confucius, Sun Tzu and Sun Yat-sen, go-hua painting and chow-chow dogs! Why, the Chinese invented paper, gunpowder, wushu and acupuncture! ..

Yes, we have heard all these songs for a long time. Just like commands like “do not dare to go with your charter to a strange monastery” or something like that. As for the “monasteries” and “statutes”, I repeat once again that I am not going to impose my opinion about his country and assessment of the level of culture of its population on any Chinese, so here my conscience is completely clear. As for the ancient and never interrupted Chinese history, I will even add that some scientists in the PRC are now seriously proving that it (history) is not five, but ten thousand years old. Are you satisfied with this fact, gentlemen, lovers of "cultural cultures"? ..

Excellent, just do not, as always, confuse the concepts of "culture" and "civilization". And if the Chinese continue to stubbornly and stupidly stare at you on the street just because you are a foreigner, or champ, burp and fart while eating, then what does his distant ancestor, who once invented gunpowder, have to do with it? What does the philosophy of Confucius have to do with a person who can only read a newspaper editorial and a sign in a nearby store? And how does the fact that 0.001% of the Chinese population know the high art of calligraphy affect the culture of behavior of the remaining 99.999%? No way.

Warning: do not forget (I am strongly of this opinion) that any person who does not shine with good manners can have excellent spiritual qualities. What I say here about the Chinese does not at all mean that I treat them with disdain. Just facts are facts.

If a Chinese person is polite to you, then it is most likely that he needs something from you. Indeed, in such cases, our neighbors can be polite to the point of improbability and sweet to the point of cloying. See how your interlocutor's behavior will change when he achieves his goal or for some other reason his interest in you cools down ... This is curious.

Given the enormous size of the Chinese population and its terrible density, one could assume that people there should be extremely attentive and considerate to each other, so as not to accidentally push a neighbor with an elbow and step on his foot. Right? But it wasn't there.

You will not find such a number of people who are completely indifferent to everyone around you in any other country in the world. An ordinary Chinese is able (and does it diligently) to yell, scream, screech, hammer nails and drill concrete walls with an electric drill even at midnight, even at five o'clock in the morning, and he does not care at all about neighbors trying to sleep behind the wall. By the way, as a result of many years of observation, I was convinced that most Chinese get up early not at all in order, as is commonly believed, to do some kind of healthy gymnastics in the morning, but because annoying neighbors simply do not let you sleep anymore. If you create the appropriate conditions for them, then they will calmly sleep until lunch, forgetting their favorite morning taijiquan, and certainly shitty breakfast.

The Chinese are noisy and completely unceremonious, not only at home, but also in public places.

The father of the family, being on the third floor of the department store, can talk loudly with his household members who remained on the first floor. Your companion at the dinner table may burp in your face and loudly spoil the air right under your nose. If you are sitting in a restaurant alone, some subject may well sit down next to you and impudently ask what country you came from, and be sure to do so at the very moment when you are chewing on the next piece of food.

Coming to Russia and living with us for a while, many Chinese, unless they are completely hopeless, realize the inferiority of their habits and try to learn how to behave as expected (and by the way, from some of them I heard self-criticism much cooler than those things that you are reading now). They are especially struck by the style of communication between members of Russian families (I do not mean alcoholics and the lumpen proletariat), which is completely different from the Chinese.

“Be kind, pass me the salt”, “please come back early”, “wouldn’t it be difficult for you to take out the garbage?” - these expressions literally kill the Chinese on the spot, because such politeness in family communication is completely uncharacteristic of them.

Some, however, begin, as if justifying themselves (another feature of the Chinese character is always to somehow justify their actions and behavior, if they differ from the actions and behavior of representatives of other nations), saying that, they say, “we believe that in family, such ceremonies look too formal and therefore inappropriate. Well, to each his own.

The queue for something is also a good opportunity to see how the notorious "Chinese ceremonies" really look like. Firstly, as soon as you move away from the one standing in front of you at least at a distance of thirty centimeters, some “left” subject will surely try to rub himself between you. Many simply ignore the existence of the queue in general, trying to simply push back competitors, move someone else's hand with money away from the cash register window and stick theirs in there.

The Chinese queue, as a very peculiar phenomenon, often requires non-standard management. I will never forget the queue for tickets at the bus station in the glorious city of Nanjing, fenced off from other parallel queues with steel barriers that could probably stop even the advance of a heavy tank. But such fences are a common thing in China, and it was not they who made the main impression on me, but the uncles-administrators who sat on perches like those towers on which volleyball referees usually sit, and through megaphones exhorted the people not to climb out of line. When another too zealous intruder broke through to the cash register, the kind guy with a bandage treated him from the height of his steel perch with several blows to the head ... with the same megaphone. “What a wonderful multifunctional tool!” I thought then...

Of course, the manners and habits of the Chinese vary greatly depending on where they were born and where they live. The most rude manners and indecent habits are distinguished by the northerners and the inhabitants of the provinces, but, for example, the Shanghainese - for the most part, they are quite well-mannered people, they will not fart at the table and climb somewhere without a queue. Moreover, they will even exhort and educate the one who does this. Again, for the sake of accuracy, I note that in recent years I have observed significant progress in the style of behavior of the Chinese almost throughout this vast country (with the possible exception of the Tibetan plateaus: everything is still the same there) ... In most places, although they continue to climb without a queue , but not so hard that the presence of a man on the perch was necessary.

True, our neighbors have not stopped burping and slurping while eating, so, as they say, there is still work to be done.

Champing, as an immanent characteristic of the Chinese people, did not appear by chance, and, as I suspect, its history goes back at least five thousand years. That is, this phenomenon is a thing much more ancient than, say, the teachings of the same Confucius. Historically, the Chinese who did not always eat well and plentifully (what can you do - there is not enough land, there are a lot of people), gathering at a common table (now imagine a big family!), Were forced to eat hot food as quickly as possible: if you delay - and you will remain hungry. And it doesn’t take long to get a burn of the oral mucosa or esophagus ... So it was the diligent champing that for five thousand years helped the Chinese ventilate their mouths while eating, rapidly satiating themselves and at the same time avoiding getting burned.

Foreigners who first enter the territory of the Middle Kingdom and do not have super-strong nerves, at first, usually suffer greatly from too close attention to themselves. Of course, the more educated a Chinese is, the less he allows himself to unceremoniously stare at a stranger on the street, in a restaurant, in transport: you will hardly encounter this problem either in the capital city of Beijing, or in Shanghai, which has long been accustomed to foreign physiognomies. But the farther into the province, the tighter the crowds surround the astonished overseas traveler from all sides ...

In such cases, the Chinese usually do not look, they just stare at the object that aroused their interest. Due to the fact that there is significant unemployment in China, there will always be dozens and sometimes even hundreds of curious loitering citizens for whom meeting a foreigner on the street is real entertainment. What has always surprised me in the process of examining a foreigner by the Chinese is the complete absence of emotions on the faces of observers who look at you with dull glassy eyes. Many of them can follow a foreigner for hours, sometimes coming close to him and even feeling his clothes, hair, bag, etc. with their dirty hands. Bought in the nearest Chinese store.

As mentioned in the first chapter, a friend of mine very aptly called these staring crowds "banderlogs." If you remember Kipling's fairy tales about Mowgli and his friends, you will immediately understand what lies in wait for a foreign traveler on Chinese streets and squares. By the way, not all observers remain silent - the most "advanced", as it is now customary to say, of them often shake the air with loud exclamations: "Laowai, laowai!", Attracting the attention of even more idlers, as well as yelling: "Hallowe, hallow! » Do not think that in this way they are trying to say hello to a foreigner, the distorted English greeting in their mouth is rather something like “kiss-kiss”, addressed by a child to a completely unfamiliar cat.

If their cries have attracted the attention of a foreigner, the Chinese rejoice, like that same child, and continue to yell with tenfold force and rather mockingly mocking intonations. Therefore, the only advice that can be given to an unfortunate person who finds himself in a similar situation is to ignore what is happening around and go about your business. In the end, seeing the passivity of the victim, screamers and unceremonious spectators lose interest in her. True, new idiots soon appear nearby, and everything returns to normal.

It should be noted that, fortunately, over time, the Chinese show less and less of this intact stupid curiosity for foreigners; Over the past years, I have personally seen very noticeable progress. Now, in general, not only residents of Beijing and Shanghai, but also many large provincial centers such as Chengdu, Zhengzhou, etc., are highly neutral to the appearance of foreigners nearby. less and less active. Although the cries of "Hallow!", it seems, will be carried in the expanses of the Celestial Empire for a very long time.

If a Chinese belched especially loudly in your face, farted under your breath, spat on your leg or poked a finger at you and loudly yelled his indispensable “Hallow!” right in your face again! and you expressed doubts about the correctness of his actions, he may well suddenly declare: "All the Chinese do this, why shouldn't I?" This phrase, in different versions, I heard quite often. In general, there is nothing to cover here, besides, of course, what you just thought about. And in general, the average resident of the Celestial Empire is very prone to broad generalizations and likes to speak on behalf of the whole people (“But in China, everyone thinks that ...”), categorically expressing the opinion of one and a half billion compatriots.

The Chinese are extremely sociable people. Their sweet sociability is so casual that it often turns into nasty importunity. Approximately the same quality is found by an ordinary housefly, trying to warm its paws on your nose early in the morning, when you are still snoring peacefully, and fifteen minutes remain before the alarm goes off. In short, in China it doesn't matter where you are and what exactly you are doing at the moment - you can sleep, eat, read, write (with an accent on any syllable), shave, change the gasket in a tap or elsewhere, take a shower, talking on the phone - all this by no means guarantees that some type will not come to you to "communicate". “Communication” usually consists of a series of the same questions, repeated in the same sequence, that you will be asked. In general, these issues can be divided into two categories - personal and general political.

If there is a certain range of personal issues in Russia and the West that can be addressed only to close friends and relatives, or even to no one at all, do not expect your Chinese counterpart to follow the same ethical standards. Very often, the first contact with a Chinese becomes not very pleasant and even shocking for this very reason. So, you may well be asked about your age (regardless of whether you are a man or a woman), how much you earn per month (year, etc.), do you have children and why they are not (if not) ... if you have, for example, a mole on your face, you may be asked what it is. If you are a woman, then a Chinese woman you barely know may decide to clarify the size of your bra ...

And there are many, many more questions in the same vein. In addition to them, get ready to immediately receive comments about your personality that you are unlikely to receive anywhere except China. Hearing them, a foreigner very often does not know whether to laugh or cry ...

“You look like some movie actress, uh, Sharon Stone. Of course, in beauty you are far from her, but ... "

- (once met once) “I haven’t seen yours for a long time. Yours is so fat! You need a diet!

“You speak Chinese so well! But Dima speaks Chinese much worse than you! .. ”(Dima stands nearby and quietly flows around from what he heard.)

It is believed that one should not be offended by all this blizzard, because the Chinese are not carrying it with the aim of offending the interlocutor or anyone in general, but “trying to establish verbal-psychological contact with the aim of further positive interaction” (quote from one smart book). From myself I can advise in the case of such a “establishment of contact” not to rat (it will only get worse), but to treat this theater of the absurd with humor: there is nowhere to go anyway, so follow the Chinese proverb: “Entered the village - behave like a peasant.” If you are very itchy, come up with a couple of the most idiotic, most stupid and tactless questions and ask them to the Chinese interlocutor. And try to enjoy life...

Questions of a general political and general educational nature are rarely tactless, but they are monotonous and quite predictable. Your interlocutor is interested in how you like Medvedev, Putin (formerly it was Yeltsin, Gorbachev, etc.), how is the economy in Russia (for some reason, culture, art and sports are of no interest to anyone), is it (the economy) really developing well how do you feel about Lenin and so on. By the way, there is an option that if you conscientiously answer exactly what the interrogator expects from you (that is, what newspapers and news programs have long hammered into his head), then the conversation on general topics will dry up. This is because the ultimate goal of your counterpart is to make sure that you are right, and nothing else. Having received not the answer that was expected, the Chinese who asked the question may well fall into a stupor and after a long time to come to their senses.

A favorite question of any Chinese asked to a Russian is: “What is your main food in Russia? Bread, huh? If you answer that it’s not bread, the phrase will follow: “Ah, I know! Potatoes with fried meat! ”, Accompanied by an explosion of stupid at first glance laughter ... An inexperienced person from this cultural interaction either comes into a state of shock or tries to be offended, although in general one should not do either. Everything has its logical explanation. “Potatoes with fried meat” was used by Nikita Khrushchev as a symbol of the well-being of the Soviet people, to which (well-being, that is) one had to strive; The Chinese remember this quote very well and are still passed down from generation to generation, and its original meaning has long been forgotten ...

As for the laughter "out of place", then with him the story is even more amusing. The fact is that in the countries of the Far East (for example, in Korea and Japan, and China goes without saying, of course) laughter is by no means only a person's reaction to something funny or ticklish; there are many more reasons for laughter. Here is the notorious desire to establish psychological contact and express one’s benevolence or sympathy, and an attempt to smooth out one’s own awkwardness and embarrassment, and simply a lack of understanding of what should be done next, say, in a delicate situation ... A classic example: a foreigner falls off a bicycle, and around, a crowd of Chinese suddenly, for no reason at all, begins to giggle, quite naturally causing a fit of rage and a desire to finish off a couple of the most violently having fun on the spot. Meanwhile, people were not at all funny; they simply did not know how to help the injured cyclist who found himself in an uncomfortable and awkward position (he is already ridiculous, unfinished, big-nosed and hairy, he also does not know how to ride a bike), and they themselves felt internal inconvenience from this.

Thus, full communication is not always obtained; however, do not be upset. A little more attention to local specifics, a little patience, effort and a sense of humor - and everything will work out. In addition, any communication is still much better than when you are just stupidly and stubbornly considered like a little animal in a zoo. It is the unceremoniously staring crowds that I mentioned above that drive some especially faint-hearted foreigners in China to white heat ...

Speaking of birds and animals. They say that a person is largely characterized by his attitude towards children and animals, right? As I have already said, the Chinese usually treat children (their own and others') with unspeakable tenderness and care. This is largely due to the ancient and persistent idea of ​​longevity, wealth and abundance of offspring as the three essential components of human happiness, and in many respects to the fact that in a traditionally large, but nowadays ruthlessly curtailed by a strict birth control policy, the Chinese family is the only the child generally acquires the status of a priceless treasure ...

However, with all this, our neighbors are merciless to animals. A Chinese friend of mine living in Russia got a spaniel and raised it for several months. Then he threw it from the fifth floor onto the asphalt, then picked it up, cooked it and ate it. No comment.

The inhabitants of the Celestial Empire, who love to eat fresh meat, retain their customs even when they go abroad. It is not for nothing that the administration of those hostels and hotels where many Chinese appear is forced to fight hard to prevent respected guests from slaughtering pets in bathrooms and kitchens, including all the same unfortunate dogs (oh, did you think that only Koreans love dog meat? You were sorely mistaken!). This struggle is unsuccessful, that is, it always ends with the victory of the ancient, five thousand-year-old civilization.

Woe to a cat that has fallen into a Chinese family. Most likely, she will be put in a cage, where she will spend the rest of her life; during the "walk" it can also be tied around the neck with such a short piece of rope that the poor animal can neither sit nor lie down without the risk of being strangled. They can be put in a cramped cage and exposed for the whole day under the scorching sun, without water and food. The dog also risks living his entire life behind bars. And I also remembered the little white rabbits, which are sold in abundance on the streets of Chinese cities for the amusement of spoiled obese children - "little emperors". These living toys are usually packed in cages of such a size that they can neither stand up nor turn around there, and all that remains for the poor fellows is to slightly move their ears, noses and tails ... When they suffocate from tightness, they are buried in this small lattice sarcophagus, or rather, simply are thrown into the trash.

Russia for the Chinese is an amazing country, if only because there is: a) a lot of land, “behind which no one looks” (any park is perceived by the Chinese in this way and nothing else), and b) there are many animals and birds that walk and fly by themselves by oneself. Remarkably, the reaction of the average Chinese to the met animal or bird is the same and therefore always predictable: he almost always tries to rush at the creature he meets (be it a cat, duck, dove, crow, squirrel, etc.), scare him, hit, throw any object into it; having performed this action, he goes on his way with a satisfied look. And let the defenders of Confucian culture and millennial traditions sing their stupid songs, but I personally am inclined to see in such behavior a clear evidence of some kind of inferiority of the soul, and nothing else.

For the sake of justice, I note that along with the disgusting majority, there is also a certain kind-hearted minority, which, in contrast to the stupid knackers, welcomes, feeds and takes care of the younger brothers in every possible way, acting in a hostile environment in the spirit of the famous film "Schindler's List". Some of the most advanced foreigners who love animals and wanted to spit on the notorious spells about charters and monasteries from the top of Everest do not stand aside ... For example, one of my wonderful friends, who had lived in Beijing for many years, once discovered that his neighbors they brutally mock their cat, starving her and tormenting her with thirst and not letting her out of a cramped cage; poor kitty, who was already on the verge of exhaustion, could only moan softly and plaintively. The very next night, the cat was stolen along with the cage, underwent a month-long rehabilitation course and was given to proven, good hands (fortunately, my friend already has enough of his living creatures) ...

I am sorry if the fragments of reality described above did not coincide with someone's ideas about the great and beautiful Celestial Empire. As they say, a bitter truth is better than a sweet lie. And, I will add on my own, better than the wonderful fantasies of many of our home-grown experts who have never been to China, but carry caramel-leaf rubbish about it right and left.

Let me end with a short story.

... There once was a young and talented sinologist who not only read many clever books about China, but also began to write them himself (and very good ones at that). But in no way could he get into the coveted country, to which he devoted half his life, there was such a time - without a direction from above, no one will let you go anywhere, and they simply won’t give you a passport. But then perestroika came, and my friend finally went to the East - to practice Chinese and collect scientific material ... And for the six months that he spent in China, he was so disappointed in this country and its citizens that he never went there again, how nor begged by his friends, colleagues and Chinese universities. "I will not go!" - says, and all! ..

I wish you never experienced such disappointments. And for this you need to imagine the reality in advance. And stock up on a good portion of positive, so that this very reality seems to you a cheerful, colorful circus, and not a gloomy madhouse.

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In ancient times, there were strictly defined ceremonies and rituals in China. Confucius (551-479 BC) attached great importance to them, emphasizing their organizing, rallying and educating role. All events in the life of the people were accompanied by the performance of appropriate ceremonies, the rules of which extended to relations between family members and between people in general. The form and ceremonial of the Confucian civilization gained great strength and continues to influence the life of the Chinese today. Strictly prescribing to him certain norms of behavior, speech, clothing, and so on. Although as the country undergoes rapid changes and expansion of relations with other peoples and cultures, the old in China is increasingly leveled, there is an increasing unification of behavior that corresponds to the norms of modern society. The visit is best done by prior arrangement. You can come to friends without a special invitation, which frees the hosts from the hassle of organizing a table. In China, the most suitable time for a visit is the afternoon. At the same time, you should not come to visit at mealtime or bedtime unless you have been previously invited. Meal time in China is somewhat earlier than in Russia. So, lunch starts at 11.30 - 12.30, dinner - at 17.30 - 18.30. After lunch, it is customary to rest until 14.00. Visiting after 21.00 is considered incorrect. According to Chinese custom, it's already late. When meeting guests, the host greets them at the door. Shaking hands is done according to the same rules as in Russia. The hosts are the first to give a hand. They shake hands with both men and women. If you, on your own initiative, lend a hand to the owners, then this will be received with joy. First, it is customary to greet the older members of the family. With close acquaintances, you can shake hands with both hands or even hug your shoulders. Kissing is not accepted. The Chinese are hospitable. They prepare well in advance and carefully for the meeting of guests. If a treat is expected, then the owners try to take into account the tastes and habits of the guests in advance. If the guest is in the house for the first time, then all family members are introduced to him. They try to make the guest feel comfortable. If it is hot, then they give him a fan or a towel to wipe his face, turn on the fan, offer soft drinks. In cold weather, the guest is seated in the warmest room, given hot tea. In winter, the premises are poorly heated, and most often they are not heated at all, so it is customary not to undress. If the guest is older, the host does not sit down first. Titarenko M.L. People's Republic of China. Politics, economics, culture. Moscow, publishing house "Eastern Literature", 1996. - p.252

Young people should show their respect for elders, listen to their judgments. The host, to emphasize his respect for the guest, hands him a cup of tea with both hands. The guest should stand up, take the cup with both hands and thank. Guests can be treated with seeds, sweets, cigarettes. When fruit or food is served, do not rush to eat it first. You need to wait until other guests or elders start eating. For a guest, the host can peel an apple or a pear. The hosts make sure that the guests do not have empty plates, glasses and glasses. The wife of the owner of the house most often does not sit at the table, but only takes care of the guests. In the south, this custom is dying out, especially in the cities, the wife can be at the table. Guests should not show signs of attention to the hostess of the house, give compliments. The host, as the head of the family, plays a leading role in receiving guests and communicating with them. This has deep historical roots. According to the Confucian tradition of the ancestor cult, filial piety of xiao, family and clan, a woman occupied an unequal and humiliated position for many centuries.

In modern China, the position of women has changed. The Chinese constitution states that women enjoy equal rights with men in all areas of political, economic, cultural, social and family life. At the same time, the "legacy of the past" in one form or another can be found, although women are increasingly being promoted to leadership positions. Of course, what has been said does not mean at all that it would be inappropriate to note the culinary art and hospitality of the hostess. This will please her and the owner. Parting with the guests, the owner seeks to see them as far as possible beyond the threshold of the house, showing his respect, invites them to visit again. The guests say: “Come back; or don't see them off, goodbye!" The guests thank for the warm welcome and refreshments and say goodbye by the hand. At present, the visit procedure is becoming more free from ceremonial, especially when receiving foreign guests who do not know the intricacies of Chinese etiquette and often adhere to the rules adopted in their own country. Gifts Going to visit, the Chinese give gifts. For example, fruits, preferably in a basket or net, sweets, cakes, cookies and cakes in boxes. Relatives and close acquaintances may bring meat, fish, shrimp, cigarettes, a couple of bottles of vodka or wine, and clothes, especially for the Chunjie festival.

It is better to give foreigners sweets, cookies, cakes (nyan-gao is especially appreciated - New Year's rice cookies), good tea. Fresh cut flowers are not accepted. However, in the southern cities this tradition is gradually dying out. Artificial flowers are commercially available, but they are used as decorations at weddings and funerals, not as gifts. In China, it is customary to give paired items that symbolize unity, family harmony: two vases, two mugs, etc. Watches should not be given, especially to the elderly, as their zhong pronunciation is similar to the sound of the word "end, death." Do not give toys, children's things to a family where there are no children or are just waiting for their birth. We must not forget that if you present a gift that is too expensive, you will put people in a difficult position, who, following the principle of reciprocity, will be forced to respond with an equally, and even more expensive gift.

In China, it is customary to give gifts before leaving. They even leave them secretly so that the owners do not see them. Rarely give them immediately. It is impossible to show indifference to a gift. It is necessary to look at it, express gratitude and make a return gift. It would be polite to warn the guest not to bring gifts next time.