For every businessman , when you import from China,  e.g., do business with china wholesale electronics company . you should have some basic understanding of chese “money”

China’s currency is the renminbi (RMB) or “people’s currency”. The official international abbreviation of the renminbi is CNY (for “Chinese yuan”), although the currency is more often shortened to RMB. It is been in use since shortly before the Communist accession to power in 1949.

The basic unit of the RMB is the yuan. For reasons of consistency, this guide uses the term RMB for cash amounts, but yuan is equally acceptable. Colloquially, the key currency unit is referred to as a “kuai.” One yuan can be divided into 10 jiao (colloquially known as “mao”) or 100 fen (the “cents” of the RMB, which are rarely used).

All RMB bills come in denominations of one, five, ten, twenty, fifty and one hundred yuan. Nearly all bills feature a prominent portrait of Mao Zedong.

Cash is still the most common way to make purchases in China, especially in the less-developed west of the country and in minor cities where the majority of small stores, restaurants and air/rail ticket vendors do not accept credit cards.

The renminbi was effectively pegged to the US dollar at a rate of roughly US$1 to RMB8.28 between 1994 and 2005. The peg was then replaced by a linkage between the RMB and a basket of currencies, and as of October 2007 was trading at about US$1 — RMB7.51. Updated renminbi exchange rates are available at www.xe.com.

Credit cards
Credit cards are now, however, widely accepted in major cities in bars, restaurants and large retail outlets. Major stores, supermarkets and hotels in secondary cities will also accept them. This is one of the most convenient ways to make purchases, as credit/debit card transactions give you the best exchange rate. At present, the credit cards accepted in China are Mastercard, Federal Card, Visa, American Express, JCB, and Diners’ Club Card.

If you plan to open a bank account in China, you may apply for a Great Wall International Card through the Bank of China, which can be used for revolving credit, spending, cash withdrawal and online transactions. General deposit and savings accounts are easy to open with domestic banks with a minimal deposit, and US dollars or renminbi can be used to open the account. A cash card for the bank’s ATMs can be issued while you wait. One of the most modern banks to emerge from the opening up drive is China Merchants Bank which was among the first to offer telephone and online banking services via computers on the mainland.

ATMs
ATM cards, or debit cards, also come in handy, as many ATMs in large cities accept cards with the Cirrus network logo. Be aware, though, that despite the appropriate logo, there are still many ATMs that cannot access your account. It is best not to wait until you have little or no money in your wallet before you go to the ATM, as there is always the risk that the machines will be empty or out of order. It is not recommended to rely on your ATM card if you are traveling out of the city.

Your bank will usually charge a US$1- US$3 service fee for each transaction made on a foreign ATM, but most Chinese banks will not levy additional charges. If you are in a large city, you can avoid this service fee by using an HSBC or Citibank card in any one of their ATMs.

It’s possible to get cash over the counter at any branch of Bank of China using a credit or debit card provided you take your passport along with you as supporting identification. Be aware that this service is not available at weekends however.

Foreign currency
If you travel to China with foreign currency or travelers’ cheques, it is easy to exchange for RMB in major banks (Bank of China, CITIC Industrial Bank and HSBC) in the largest and secondary cities and top hotels (although hotels usually don t provide the best exchange rate). Just bring your passport with you. If you are in more remote areas, your best bet is the Bank of China. Be aware that the waiting time in banks can be very long.

It is recommended that you keep the receipts from all exchanges in case customs asks to see them when you leave the country.

Travelers’ cheques
The Bank of China can cash travelers’ cheques sold by international commercial banks and travelers’ cheque companies in the United States, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Britain, France, Switzerland, Germany as well as many other countries. The Bank of China also sells travelers’ cheques for other banking institutions such as American Express, Citibank, Tongjilong Travelers’ Cheque Co., the Sumitomo Bank of Japan and the Swiss Banking Corporation.

Tourists are permitted to take up to RMB 6,000 (in cash or travelers’ cheques) out of the country, but you may prefer to convert all RMB back into foreign currency, so do keep receipts for all currency transactions.

Counterfeit banknotes
Be aware that there are a lot of counterfeit banknotes in circulation in China, particularly RMB 100 notes, which is another reason to make currency exchanges in banks rather than with black market dealers.

wanna visit china for business?  Meet your supplier , buy product direct from china, or negotiate with china wholesal electronics ? please refer to the following visa policy

China’s visa policy, once one of the strictest in the world, has loosened up considerably in recent years. In general, the authorities have realized that China needs foreigners to help grow the economy, and they are welcomed. A long-term residency “green card” was first introduced in 1986, for foreigners who meet the requirements. Few foreigners aside from high-value investors, however, have been granted miltiple-year visas. Nevertheless, for most visitors, tourist and business visas are generally treated with flexibility and can be extended with little difficulty, at least once or twice.

Visas can be obtained from China’s embassies and consulates in most countries. In Hong Kong, China visas are available from virtually any travel agency and at the concierge or front desk of most hotels and guesthouses. There also exists in Hong Kong a number of travel agents that specialize in China visas, particularly in the Kowloon Peninsula around Nathan Road. Visas procured in Hong Kong typically require 1-3 days to process. They can be obtained in as little as six hours for those willing to pay an extra fee. Single-entry visas can also be obtained at the border crossings in Shenzhen and Zhuhai, Guangdong province upon arrival from Hong Kong. Some nationalities may have problems obtaining visas upon entry from Hong Kong so it’s best to inquire ahead of time.

Visa types and number of entries are indicated on the visa itself. Single-entry visas become invalid as soon as the holder leaves China’s borders, regardless of how much time the visa originally permitted the holder to stay in China. Beware: visitors with a single-entry visa cannot return to Hong Kong after arriving on the Mainland.

Multiple-entry visas enable the holder to cross China’s borders at will. Some have a 30-day limit on each stay, while others have no restrictions during the period of validity of the visa.

Visa applications require a passport valid for at least six months after entry and with at least one blank page (for the stamp upon arrival), one or more passport-sized photo and an application form. Contact your country’s local China embassy or consulate for the most up-to-date application procedures and forms.

A registered company operating in China can assist its employees with the application for an employment visa or ‘Z’ visa, usually valid for one year. Additional supporting documents are needed, including the company’s business license. Applicants for the ‘Z’ visa are also required to undergo a physical examination.

A business visa or ‘F’ visa can be obtained without a sponsoring company, usually with the help of a travel agency. Such visas are usually valid for six months and allow multiple entries and exits.

Tourist visas or ‘L’ visas are the easiest to obtain and have the least paperwork. These visas are a good option for those looking to explore work or study options after entering the country.

Visa fees vary according to a number of factors: nationality of the applicant, type of visa, application process, number of entries and urgency of the application. For example, a 30-day single-entry tourist visa obtained by a US citizen from the Chinese embassy in Chicago costs US$100, however a work visa obtained by a Japanese citizen may cost around US$50. Check with your country’s China embassy or consulate for details.

China’s attitude toward issuing visas to US passport holders took a negative turn in response to the US decision to start fingerprinting and photographing many Chinese visa applicants to the States following the September 11 terrorist attacks. The length of tourist and visitor visas issued to US passport holders is shorter than normal, and the processing time is typically longer than for other passports.

Visa extensions can only be obtained in-country from the Public Security Bureau via the local Foreign Affairs Branch. The foreign visa office in Shanghai is located at 333 Wusong Lu, Tel: (021) 6357 7925. In Beijing, it’s located at 2 Andingmen Dongdajie, Tel: (010) 6404 7799.

Extending a visa can be easy or difficult, depending on where one is attempting to do it. Fees may or may not be involved. Some offices will promptly extend a visa free of charge. Other offices may require applicants to wait five business days and pay a sum that can vary. In general, visa offices in China’s hinterland are much less consistent than large cities like Beijing or Shanghai. It’s best not to wait until the last moment for an extention.

when you import from china, wholesale china electronics product , you should know the currency policy well.  

China’s currency is the renminbi or “people’s currency.” The official international abbreviation of renminbi is CNY, although the currency is more often shortened to RMB (used throughout this guide). The RMB has been in use for just over half a century, first coming into use shortly before the Communist accession to power in 1949.

The basic unit of the RMB is the yuan. For reasons of consistency, this guide uses the term RMB for cash amounts, but yuan is equally acceptable. Colloquially, the key currency unit is referred to as a kuai, both in Chinese and in English. Usage as follows: “Have you got 10 kuai to pay for the taxi?” One yuan can be divided into ten jiao (colloquially known as mao) or one-hundred fen (the “cents” of the RMB).

RMB bills come in denominations of one, two and five jiao, and one, five, ten, twenty, fifty and one-hundred yuan. Most bills feature a prominent portrait of Mao Zedong and it’s worth remembering that there are currently two issues of all notes currently in circulation. RMB coins come in denominations of half, one, two and five jiao, and one <yuan, and are most frequently found in the greater Shanghai area.

With all the different bills in circulation it is easy to become confused. A number of features exist to prevent counterfeiting including watermarking. Be sure to check each bill carefully when receiving money from any vendor that frequently caters to tourists. Cashiers and taxi drivers often examine RMB 100 or RMB 50 notes carefully before accepting them. Counterfeit notes tend to be thinner, smoother and easier to tear than legitimate notes. If in doubt then make sure to have each note checked under an ultraviolet light. Money that is torn, taped together or in a questionable state is often difficult to spend but can be exchanged at banks for new notes.

The renminbi has been effectively pegged to the US dollar at a rate of roughly US$1 to 8.28 RMB since 1994. It is widely believed the peg will be replaced at some point by a linkage between the RMB and a basket of currencies. Updated renminbi exchange rates are available at www.xe.com.

Being a businessman , when you are going to set up china office , buy from china, do wholesale business, you should apply for telephone service.

Making phone calls in and from China has never been easier. Most hotels offer international direct dialing (IDD) and mobile phone networks cover most of the country.

China’s mobile phone networks are run largely by the state-owned China Telecom and China Unicom. China Telecom runs a GSM network which is considered to be the most reliable with the best reception. China Unicom offers a CDMA service with slightly cheaper rates and slightly less wide coverage.

China Mobile also offers a GPRS data network that sits on top of the GSM network and allows computers and PDAs with GPRS capability to connect. Speeds vary from very fast to maddeningly slow, but overall the GPRS service is excellent in all major cities.

If you have a mobile phone from your home country, you should find it connects automatically to a local network. Calls you make will be charged to your home account.

China charges for both phoning out and receiving mobile calls.

Buying a mobile phone
It is almost easier to buy a mobile phone in China than any other consumer item – every city and town has multiple mobile phone shops, as well as the China Mobile and China Unicom stores. There is a huge range of phones available, from the latest Internet-enabled devices with digital cameras to the standard no-frills models. Text messaging can be done in Mandarin via a pinyin (romanization) input system, or in English or other Asian languages, depending on the model.

Prices start at around RMB 600. Nokia and Motorola are the most popular names at the moment. Chinese brands, such as Panda, are well-designed but not yet considered prestigious by the brand-conscious urban Chinese consumer.

Mobile phones in China are typically set for Chinese language display, but can almost always be reset in the options menu for English. This is not generally true with China-sold PDA phones.

Buying a SIM card
Mobile phones are typically sold separate from the network service, so you should separately buy a SIM card which gives you a phone number. If you are in China for an extended period, you can set up a mobile phone account and pay the bill on a monthly basis, though you’ll need a China registered company to sponsor your application. Otherwise stored-value phone cards (also known as “pay as you go”), which are widely available, are very popular. Conveniently, it’s also possible to initially buy a SIM card that is charged using stored-value cards and then register at a later date for that same SIM card to be billed monthly, but again you’ll need your company to support your application.

SIM cards can be bought for prices starting at around RMB 120 RMB and can go up to RMB 1,000 depending on the phone number chosen – phone numbers including several eights and sixes are considered lucky and are sold for a premium (the Chinese words for these numbers sound like the words for plenty and abundance), while four is thought to be unlucky (the Chinese word for four sounds similar to the word for death), providing a discount opportunity.

SIM cards charged using stored-value cards will usually come with RMB 100 worth of credit, and thereafter you will need to recharge manually by buying more charge cards when you need them. These are sold at the China Mobile and China Unicom stores all over the country, and often in supermarkets, post offices, banks and newspaper kiosks in major cities.

Phone charges using a China SIM card are around 0.5 RMB for a local call, 1 RMB for long distance, and (for example) approximately 8 RMB for a one minute call to the US using an IP service.

Don’t forget to bring your mobile phone with you if you’re moving to China for any extended period of time since SIM cards bought in China will work in any standard GSM mobile.

Phone cards
IP cards are the cheapest way to make international calls back home or to head office. These are VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) cards and involve dialing a special five digit number and the code unique to your card before dialing the number you want – instructions are in English and Mandarin. Call rates to Europe are less than RMB 4 per minute, and less than RMB 2.5 to the US.

IP cards are sold all over China, just make sure that their use-by date is still valid and that they can be used anywhere in China. The most reliable IP cards are sold by China Telecom, in post offices, major supermarkets and newspaper kiosks, with a face value of RMB 50 and RMB 100, but usually sold for less.

When you do business in china , import product from china, or wholesale china electronics product, you should have some more idea about china internet situation.

With 123 million internet users, China is second only to the US in the size of its online community. Most users congregate in internet cafes, which can range from quiet respites offering tea and snacks, to loud, crowded, smoky enclaves full of teenagers playing war games. Fees at such ‘net bars are usually cheap (RMB2-10 per hour).

With your own computer, It is now easier than ever to hook up to the Internet in China, and virtually all five star hotels offer broadband access. An increasing number of cafes and bars also provide Wi-Fi connection, allowing your laptop computer to connect to the internet through a short-range wireless signal. So long as your laptop is wireless-enabled you’ll be able to access the internet at the various Wi-Fi hotspots that have sprung up in Beijing and Shanghai (and in other cities across China). It’s also possible to pick up a Wi-Fi connection if you happen to live in close vicinity to any of the hotspots listed below!

Elsewhere you can obtain access to the Internet via an anonymous dial-up connection. It’s possible to either dial one of the many internet service providers (ISPs) that exist in China or use a pre-paid card. Popular ISPs are 163 (China Telecom) and 169 (China Unicom) and this same number is used as the user name and password. The cost of using the Internet will then be billed to the phone line that you are using to connect, often at a very low rate.

Pre-paid cards offer even cheaper Internet access. The cards can be bought at any locations around town that sells telephone cards, often at a fraction of the face value. If you need to check your email but don’t carry a laptop, most hotel business centers will have an internet connection that you can use for a fee, or alternatively the concierge should be able to direct you to an Internet cafe – these have proliferated almost as fast as mobile phone coverage and can be found at all cities across China, with minimal rates per hour, often as little as RMB2. Some Internet cafes (particularly in Beijing) may ask to see some kind of identification, such as your passport, before allowing you to use a computer.

When you buy electronics product direct from china , you should know chinese electricity. 

China uses 220-volt electricity, although some five star hotels are wired for 110-volt electricity. In general, you will need a power converter for 110-volt appliances (most US appliances).

A decent quality converter can cost anywhere from US$20 to US$50. It is a good idea to come prepared with one, as most stores and even supermarkets in China do not carry them.

You may also need an adapter plug to use your electrical appliances. China uses the following two types of plugs:

Machines designed for travel, such as laptops, usually don’t require a converter, but may need an adapter plug. Be careful with other appliances, such as phones, hairdryers and clocks, which are common travel items but may not be designed to operate at 220-volts. Electrical appliances purchased in continetal Europe will usually work fine.

Want to import product from China? Do wholesale business in china?  Or any other kind of business ?Here’s some advice for  business issue.
This is a serious issue and the key point to remember when doing business in China is that negotiations and meetings should be conducted in a way that maintains face for both sides, even if the deal is not successfully concluded.

Causing embarrassment by overt criticism or direct refusals is counter-productive. But that doesn’t mean you can’t say what you want to say – you can. It is a matter of how to say it. As with discussions anywhere, try to put yourself into the position of your opposite, work out what he needs, what his problems are, then work to solve them in your approach.

Mobile phones
The Chinese habit is generally to leave ithe phone on during meetings.

Patience
Take a deep breath and relax. Business in China can take time, although it has speeded up considerably in recent years, and you may need several visits before your project is workable.

Business hours
When making appointments, keep in mind that normal business hours are usually 8am to 11.30 or 12 noon, and 2pm to 5pm Monday to Friday. Friday afternoon is not the best time for meetings with government officials or departments.

Pecking order
Always show most respect for the most senior member of the Chinese team, regardless of who did the most work on the deal. For large meetings, the most senior members of your group should enter the meeting room first, with subordinates following. When a meeting is wrapped up, the same priority should be followed in leaving – the Chinese will allow you to leave first. The reverse is true if the Chinese are the visitors.

Office conference room meetings
The guests should sit facing the door (to make them more comfortable with their backs not exposed to the door behind). Offer tea or water. Don’t refuse anything, but you don’t have to drink / eat it either. At a first meeting the senior visitor starts with a summary of their company / project. Then the host reciprocates.

Interpretation
If there is an interpreter translating for you, remember to speak in bite-size chunks, two sentences maximum, to allow time for translation. Speak clearly and use simple words and sentence structure.

Business cards
You will need some, probably lots. Make sure there is Chinese on the cards, front or back. Exchanging business cards is a small ritual, although not as hardcore in China as it is in Japan. Offer your card with both hands with your head slightly bowed, accept the card offered with the same slightly deferential bow and two hands. Treat the received cards with respect – don’t spindle them, drop them or use them to clean your fingernails – at least until the meeting is over.

Small talk
The Chinese like to do business with people they feel comfortable with, and efforts will be made to make you feel at home. For this reason, small talk is important, as it allows both sides to test the water and get to know each other better. If you have read up a little on the city you are in, your hosts will recognize your efforts, and similarly, any attempts to learn a few words or phrases in Mandarin will be much appreciated – a little goes a long way. Safe topics of conversation to break the ice will be polite remarks on the city, the food, and of course the weather. References to the 2008 Beijing Olympics always go down well. Avoid negatively sensitive topics such as Taiwan and Tibet.

Presents
The giving and receiving of small symbolic gifts is very important for Chinese people in business situations. Suitable small gifts include pens, money clips, wine/spirits, all properly packaged. Try to make a present have some significance for the deal, the situation or the companies concerned.

Contracts
Contracts in China typically are much shorter than those in the West. The challenge is to remove the legal verbiage but retain the key points and safeguards. In case of disputes, do not agree to resolution through the law courts unless you have no choice. Go for arbitration, either in Beijing, Shanghai or (best) Hong Kong. Given the relatively weak status of contracts, maintaining good relations with the other side is crucial.

Signatures and chops
For official documents and forms (at the bank, for instance, it is the chop rather than the signature which makes the documents legal).

Want to do wholesale business in china?  Let me share you some tips for safety consideration in China.

Many people traveling to China for the first time find it far safer than they might imagine. You can walk through just about any part of any city in China at any time, day or night, without worrying about your personal safety. Westerners particularly should be relatively safe – on the whole the Chinese people will want you to have a good impression of their country and will keep an eye on you. In practice, the penalties for assaulting or robbing foreigners are more severe than for domestic crime, and to some extent, this will protect you. That said, it’s always best to err on the side of caution in an unfamiliar country. Don’t carry large amounts of cash on you and know your surroundings.

Theft
Serious burglary is rare in China but petty theft is widespread, and foreigners can be targets. It is best to carry only as much cash as you need, and keep the rest in traveler’s checks. Watch your wallet when you are in crowded areas such as markets, shopping malls, on public transportation and at major tourist sights. Cell phones are also frequently stolen, so keep them hidden.

If something of yours is stolen, report it immediately to the nearest police station. If they cannot recover your belongings, they can at least provide a loss report for you to claim compensation if you have insurance. The police can be remarkably helpful if you are patient and calm.

If you find youself involved in a public altercation on the street, keep calm and do not do anything threatening.

Con artists
Here is a common scam: a foreign man is walking alone along a busy street in a Chinese city and is approached by a girl. A conversation ensues; the girl suggest a coffee or a meal. They are ushered into a back room, and at the end of the coffee/meal, the guy calls for the bill and finds it made out for a very large amount. He protests; the girl slides away and two large and potentially violent waiters appear … the “guest” is not going to leave without paying. If he does not have the cash, he may be escorted to a nearby bank machine.

Con artists are a common nuisance, but common sense should keep you out of trouble. Beware of overly friendly vendors and sales assistants who may distract you into paying too much for a product or service, substitute fake products or charge you a heavy service fee for their “help”. Restaurants, for example, may suggest that you sit in a quieter private room and then give you a more expensive menu, travel agents may try to obtain “VIP” tickets for you and add on a hefty handling fee. Never be afraid to ask about prices or service fees: Chinese tourists would do the same.

Accidents
If you are witness to a street accident, be careful. By all means give assistance, but be aware that occasionally this can backfire – some would-be good Samaritans have taken people with injuries to hospital only to find themselves accused of causing the accident and are expected to foot the medical bill. Again, it is advisable not to get involved; call a doctor or the police if you wish, and then be on your way.

Violence
Mild street violence occurs in China, though it rarely ever goes beyond loud shouting and pushing. Do not get involved. Laws regarding foreigners and violence are vague but the consequences are likely to be serious.

Traffic
The most dangerous aspect of travel in China for westerners is usually road traffic. The number of private cars on the roads is increasing at a phenomenal rate, but the highway code is still a mere formality. The Chinese driving test does not involve any real road experience, and is usually taken in a special driving center so new drivers generally haven’t driven before. Add to this the huge migrant population in the cities with little experience of crossing streets safely, and you have the makings of a traffic nightmare. Fortunately, serious road accidents in the city are rare. If you want to walk around just make sure you keep an eye open for traffic coming in all directions, even from behind. In reality, pedestrians rarely have the right-of-way. Red traffic lights do not always stop oncoming vehicles.

Politics
Despite the occasional presence of khaki uniforms, China is not a police state, and the population is not constantly under surveillance. The exceptions are certain areas that are seen as sensitive by the government, such as Tibet and Xinjiang, which are more heavily policed. Certain dates may also mean more security concerns too, for example during a meeting of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, or June 4.

On the whole, if you are not smuggling in illegal literature (works on Falun Gong, Amnesty International human rights reports), arms or drugs, and if you do not talk loudly about Tibetan independence, you should have no problems with the police. The Chinese dislike a fuss, especially involving foreigners, and you will usually find that your hosts will uneasily smile and change the subject rapidly if conversation veers into dangerous territory.

Prostitution
Prostitution is illegal in China, but is found in all cities, in various guises. Bars in obvious places often feature working girls, and hairdressing salons in many parts of China often provide special services. But the scam warning above applies.

Drugs & alcohol
Drug seizures have increased greatly in China over the past few years. If a foreigner is caught possessing, trafficking, selling or manufacturing drugs, he or she can be subject to the draconian sections of the Criminal Code of the PRC.

There is no legal drinking age in China, but that does not mean that drunken crowds are welcome. In 2004, the southern section of Sanlitun, the main bar strip in Beijing, was shut down for a time by the government, and Maoming Lu in Shanghai was been closed on a couple of occasions. Disorderly behavior at any bar can get you kicked out.

Police
The Foreign Affairs Branch of the local police, or Public Security Bureau, is responsible for enforcing laws regarding foreigners. If you get into a tangle with hotels, restaurants or cab drivers, this is the body to turn to. If you are lucky, your only interaction with the police will be registering with them if you stay in a residence outside of a hotel for an extended period – the legal requirement is 24 hours.

For a trip to the main cities, no special precautions are recommended. Before any extended trips to provincial areas of China, however, a medical and dental check-up is advisable and you would do well to make sure that your immunizations for tetanus, diphtheria and polio are up to date. Depending on how rural your trip will be, typhoid vaccination as well as rabies and hepatitis jabs may be worth considering. Malaria protection is advisable for visits during the wet (summer) season for rural areas in the south of Yunnan and Fujian provinces, and in Guangxi, Guangdong and Hainan.

Should you fall sick in China, there are competent hospitals and clinics available in almost all locations. In Beijing and Shanghai, and in some of the larger cities such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Nanjing there are also a number of excellent foreign clinics and emergency services. Be aware that the prices charged at such foreign clinics are expensive so be sure to check your insurance covers any treatment.

Drinking with Chinese hosts can be an unforgettably good time or can be made awkward by miscommunication and drunkenness. Traditionally, the Chinese thought it “better to make a hole in the stomach than a hole in friendship”, meaning that friendship should come before cirrhosis. Men who did not drink were thought not trustworthy, whereas women were not expected to drink at all. These ideas are becoming old-fashioned but may survive to some extent in the backwaters where the Chinese may be less aware of western habits. In the major cities, many movers and shakers now do business banquets without the need for inebriation at all!

The Chinese enjoy toasting, and will do so by saying gan bei, literally “dry cup”,meaning down in one. Toasts can and often should be done on a group basis or between individuals. It is considered rude to refuse a toast. But a “medical condition” is the best excuse.

Beer in China is generally inexpensive and of good quality. China’s top beer, Tsingtao, was established by industrious Germans during their sixteen-year stay in east China’s Shandong province. Most areas of China produce their own local beers which are typically lagers. But a black beer trend is emerging, led by Tsingtao and Xinjiang Brewery.

When the Chinese order beer, the host will typically pour beer for guests and continue to order until it seems everyone has had more than their fill. Chinese beer is typically low in alcohol content and it is easy to reach your limit from bloating as opposed to drunkenness. If your host seems intent on making you drink past your limit, make sure to drink plenty of water or tea, and only take small sips of your beer.

Baijiu (literally, “white liquor”) is the most dangerous drink in China. Baijiu comes in many varieties with varying degrees of alcoholic content. It is generally made from rice but can also be made from sorghum, millet or other ingredients. Despite having an alcoholic content similar to western liquors, a fiery shot of baijiu packs a punch that seems to go beyond other liquors. Think of it as China’s answer to Mezcal. Baijiu can be extremely cheap (a few renminbi for a 750ml bottle) or extremely expensive (as much as US$100 for a 750ml bottle). The most famous brands are Maotai and Wuliangye. Typically, it is served in small cups or bowls, the size of small egg-cups.

Caution is advised during your first experience with this spirit. Be aware that once you have drunk one glass of baijiu, you may have to continue toasting, often in rounds of threes, as it is not accepted practice to stop at just one small glass.

Grape Wine: Chinese are quickly developing a taste for western wines, and domestically produced wines are improving rapidly. The most acceptable Chinese wines to western palates – and the most widespread – are the Dynasty and Great Wall labels; other domestic wines may taste too sweet or acidic. Fine wine from around the world is available in China in the major cities, but don’t be shocked if your host mixes it with Sprite or some other soft drink.

Western liquor is available at many bars and upscale restaurants in China. Outside of major cities the Chinese have yet to take to western spirits, although they have caught on in cities like Shanghai. Whisky, cognac and tequila are frequently the drinks of choice when the Chinese are looking to have a night out at a bar.

Smoking
China is heaven for smokers and hell for non-smokers, as there are few recognized non-smoking areas, though this is slowly changing. Chinese cigarettes are generally stronger than their western counterparts, with light cigarettes a concept that has yet to gain widespread acceptance.

Many Chinese view smoking as a social activity and offer cigarettes to anyone nearby whenever they reach for one for themselves. They are particularly generous with cigarettes during meals, whenever there is drinking and especially when entertaining foreign guests.

As with food and alcohol, it is a good move to accept offers of cigarettes, and it is not important if a guest finishes or enjoys the cigarette. Often the easiest way to get around smoking is simply to accept the cigarette and light it, holding it and ashing it until it is gone and then declining the second offer.

Visitors who have kicked the nicotine habit may wish to avoid even lighting one cigarette, in which case it may be best to express gratitude for the offer and then explain that they used to be smokers and have since quit. This is generally accepted by most Chinese as a valid excuse. Alternatively, you could accept, but say you will smoke it later.

If you are a smoker, offering cigarettes is one good way to join in, and foreign brands will generally be accepted with alacrity. China produces some good quality cigarettes, the top brands even matching imported brands price-wise. Yunnan tobacco is considered the best. Cigar smoking is catching on fast too and the top bars in Beijing and Shanghai now have cigar menus or even cigar lounges.