BUSINESS

China is still a developing country that has experienced strong economic growth since the late 1970’s. China ranks first in world production of red meat and is ranked first in coal production. Oil fields discovered in the 1960s and after made China a net exporter, and by the early 1990s, China was the world's fifth-ranked oil producer. China is one of world's largest producers of aluminium. By 2004 economic changes had become so great that the Communist party decided to add protection for private property rights to the country's constitution. Major industrial products are textiles, chemicals, fertilisers, machinery (especially for agriculture), processed foods, iron and steel, building materials, plastics, toys, and electronics.

Business attire

Men

• Wear conservative colours such as black, white, beige or brown.

• For formal events, wear suits and ties, but not tuxedos.

• Tuxedos are not a part of Chinese culture.

Women

• Wear conservative suits in conservative colours.

• Do not wear anything too revealing.

• Wear flat shoes or low heels for everyday business.

Conversations and meetings

• Use a title (Mr, Mrs) and a last name.

• Many Chinese adopt an English name.

• Don’t direclty refuse or say no, use "maybe".

• Statements like "this is not a serious problem", or "this is not a big deal", usually means there is a problem.

• Expect to answer intrusive questions about your age, income, title, family status and other personal topics. If you do not want to answer a question, give a broad answer, but remain polite.

• Initiate small talk, especially to start conversations. Small talk topics could include weather, Chinese geography, Chinese Art, or positive experiences you have had in China or other countries.

• Always be punctual.

• Present your business card with both hands. Also make sure that the business card includes your title, and one side is printed in Chinese.

• Make sure to look at the business card that is given before you put it away.

• When designing presentations, keep material in black and white.

• Remember that China is a Communist country, so negotiations and presentations must be set up to support the Communist party.

• Do not mention deadlines. Remain patient, as Chinese like to extend negotiations beyond official deadlines.

• Leave first when the meeting is finished.

• Gift giving is forbidden and interpreted as bribery.

• Remember that Chinese businesses are very family-oriented.

GOVERNMENT / CONSTITUTION

The Chinese Communist party rules the one party state of the People’s Republic of China under the constitution of 1982 as amended in 1993, the fifth since the accession of the Communists in 1949.

The only legislative chamber is the National People's Congress (NPC). The Congress makes decision on national economic strategy, elects or removes high officeholders, and can change China's constitution and it follows the directives of the Communist party.

In the executive branch are a premier, who is head of government, and a president, who is head of state. Despite the concentration of power in the Communist party, the central government's control over the provinces and local governments is limited, and they are often able to act with relative impunity in many areas. China began to build a modern legal system in the late 1970s, after opening itself economically to the rest of the world.

TRANSPORT

China has good railways, highways, civil aviation and water transport, and a posts and telecommunications network. All counties, towns and townships are accessible by road. After 1978, China began to build a large number of major expressways. By 1999, there was 58,000 km of newly built highways, 2,825 km of which were expressways. Hong Kong and Shanghai are major export ports.