Before understanding gift giving etiquette or the act of gifting in China, it is important that we understand how Chinese people approach visitors or guests. Let’s get some basic albeit vital information about way of greetings and introductions in the country.

Also, let’s get some understanding of Chinese culture & Protocol. Confucius, considered China’s greatest sage, is known to have formed a meticulous system of morals, ethics, hierarchy and behavior, setting the framework of rules for all people to deal with each other. Following are the key concepts in following Chinese culture:

Guanxi: The fundamental glue which holds the Chinese society together. The concept of guanxi is about relationships.

Mianxi: It’s about losing or saving face. It’s very important and needs to be considered at all times.

Li: It popularly denotes the art of being courteous and polite.

Keqi: Ke means guest; qi means behavior. It represents modesty and humbleness.

The Chinese generally do not appreciate doing business with strangers. If possible, try to bring in play established relationships, or an intermediary known by both sides, to establish the first contact.

Gifts are an important way of building and creating guanxi in China. Chinese etiquette demands that a person declines an invitation, gift and other offerings three times before accepting it. It’s expected that the giver of a gift will persist, gently, until the same is accepted.

We shall also see how Chinese behave or react when formally introduced to a guest. Understanding these aspects are as important as learning the gift giving etiquettes.

The Chinese people may appear rather unfriendly when being introduced.
They do not like to display excessive emotion.
Make it a point to stand up when being introduced
Remain standing till the introduction is over.
During introduction, the accepted form of greeting is the handshake. They may also nod or slightly bow.

Never present a gift which would make it difficult for the Chinese person to reciprocate in kind. This would put them in a very awkward position and cause a loss of face. Another important gifting etiquette is to be sensitive to genuine refusals.

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Chinese differ from Westerners in their approach to gifts and gifting. In the West, a sincere thank you note is an acceptable way for extending appreciation. In China, a more tangible gesture, or gift, is preferred. Let’s follow some gifting etiquettes there.

• Chinese refrain from opening gifts immediately after they receive them. You should do likewise and avoid opening gifts after receiving them unless the other person insists so.
• Gifts with your company’s logo are fine provided they do not carry things that are considered taboo and are not too flashy.
• Gifts of foreign cigarettes, fine whisky, cognac, quality wines are acceptable.
• Do not give anything in sets of four.
• Avoid gifts that carry the connotation of funerals or death like cut flowers, white objects, clocks, etc.
• Do not give scissors or any sharp object as a gift as it symbolizes severing of relations.
• Giving food items as a gift idea may not be such a good idea as it can suggest poverty.
• Do not forget to wrap gifts, but avoid using white paper. Avoid elaborate wrapping.

It is rightly stated that imitation is the best form of flattery. Taking time and effort to imbibe Chinese culture and traditions can pay rich dividends.

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Earlier corporate gifting played a major role in the Chinese markets. Today, however, gift giving or receiving is considered as a bribe and such an offense is punished severely. If one does wish to give a gift it needs to be given privately, it should not be something very expensive and should have a personal touch to it so that it seems like a gesture of friendship rather than a business gift.

Being a communist country gift giving and gifting to government officials became illegal. However, now the idea of gifting is picking up again.

• When gifting one should always remember that they should give a group gift i.e. a company should give another company a gift and not an individual a gift thus not being a bribe. It should be addressed to the head of the business team and shouldn’t be very expensive. When presenting the gift a few words about what it is and what significance it has should be mentioned.
• It is compulsory that the company logo should be present on the gift. Chinese will refuse a gift, sometimes repeatedly. It is expected, however, that the giver will persist and the recipient’s acceptance will eventually follow.
• Gifts should always be presented with two hands & should be should be given in pairs as this is considered as good luck.
• Never give a clock or any sharp object as a gift because the Chinese meaning for clock is death and when a knife or any sharp object is presented it means the cutting of relationships.
• Avoid wrapping gifts in white, blue or black, which are colors associated with funerals, and avoid writing in red ink, which symbolizes the end of a relationship. Red, yellow and pink are seen as joyful colors, and are acceptable for gift wrap.

If you plan on wrapping your gift, red wrapping paper is best. The Chinese have many superstitions surrounding color, and red is considered to be a relatively safe gift wrap color choice.

The Important Chinese festivals are -
• Chinese New Year/Lunar New Year (January/February)
• Spring Lantern Festival/ Yuen Siu Festival (January/February)
• Ching Ming Festival (March/April)
• Birthday of Tin Hau (April/May)
• Cheung Chau Bun Festival (April/May)
• Dragon Boat Festival (June)
• Hungry Ghost Festival (August/September)
• Mid-Autumn Festival (September/October)
• Chung Yeung Festival (September/October)

For detailed understanding of each festival click here

Appreciated Gifts by the Chinese -

• A good cognac, or other fine liqueur.
• A fine pen (not a pen with red ink-writing in red ink symbolizes severing ties)
• Solar calculators.
• Kitchen gadgets Stamps, if the recipient is interested in them (stamp collecting is very popular here)
• Acceptable gifts for a company include items from your country or city, such as handicrafts, or an illustrated book. Be sure to bring a supply of these items with you, so that you can reciprocate if it happens that you are presented with a gift.
• A banquet is usually a welcome gift, since it’s likely you will be invited to one, you will have to follow Chinese business protocol and reciprocate.
• Gifts of food are acceptable, but not at dinner parties or other occasions where appetizers and meals will be served. Candy and fruit baskets, however, are acceptable as thank-you gifts sent after these events.
• Eight is considered one of the luckiest numbers in Chinese culture. If you receive eight of any item, consider it a gesture of good will.
• Yixing pots make the best Chinese gifts. They can be simple and elegant, or exotic and elaborate. And everyone loves them because collecting teapots is a popular hobby in China these days.

Gifts to Avoid

• Scissors, knives, or other sharp objects can be interpreted as the severing of a friendship or other bond.
• Straw sandals, Clocks are to be avoided as they are associated with funerals.
• Handkerchiefs Four of any item (the Cantonese word for “four” sounds similar, in the same language, to “death”)
• Gifts or wrapping paper in white, black, or blue.

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