Business Dinners in China
By Filomena Mitchell
XPI China Correspondent

If conducting any business in China it is extremely likely that at some point you will be exposed to the formal Chinese banquette. To the uninformed these events can be a minefield of cultural differences. Just as in Western societies, it is also important in China to do and say the right thing in social settings. Complicating these matters even more are the substantial amounts of alcohol and strange food that you are exposed to. The purpose of this article is to educate the reader about these situations and help them avoid the common pitfalls.

Location: The restaurants where banquets are held are quite different from western style restaurants. Dinners are served in private rooms, which can be relatively simple or very lavish with their own sitting area and bathrooms. Each room has a number. Be sure to ask your host for that number before you arrive. Also, make sure you remember it when you use the restroom (it is easy to get lost in these places, especially after a few drinks)

Punctuality: As with any business meeting you want to be on time. These events will commonly begin at 5:30PM – 6:30PM. You may even want to arrive 10 – 15 minutes early. One reason for the early arrival is because it is a good idea to be present when the food is ordered. We will address the specifics of food ordering later.

Seating: Seating is done in a specific way. If you are a Chinese banquet beginner, do not sit until the host directs you. If you are the first to arrive, sit on the sofa (if there is one) and wait for your host. If there is no sofa, you can stand or go back out to the lobby and wait for your host. If you are an experienced Chinese businessperson, you can go ahead and sit at the seat that you think is appropriate.

Seating is organized in order of status, with the host sitting at the seat facing the door and the guest of honor sitting to the left.

Ordering: Ordering is done in one of two ways. Either the restaurant has a menu like western restaurants, or you go to an ordering room. If the restaurant has a menu, the host will look at it and make the selection. If you want something special, this is the time to ask. If the restaurant has an ordering room, the host will leave the group and go to it. If you want to have influence over the ordering process, make sure you accompany him.

The ordering room is a large room displaying examples of all the dishes available. In addition, there may be the actual food itself. For example tanks of fish and baskets of clams and crabs.

Chopsticks: It is best to use chopsticks at the Chinese banquet. When you are not using your chopsticks rest them on the table or on the chopstick rest. Do not place your chopsticks parallel on top of your bowl as it is considered rude. Do not stick your chopsticks straight up in your rice bowl, as they resemble the joss sticks used in Chinese religious rituals.

Portions and Presentation: Your host, will gain face by ordering more than his group can eat. There will be plenty of leftovers. Dishes are commonly served on a rotating “lazy susan” and is positioned in the middle of the table. Take items one at a time from the communal center dishes and move to your own. Be sure to only take enough for one or two bites. It is uncommon in China to load your plates up with a lot of food. When picking food from the communal plates, try not to hover over the plates for too long. The goal is to swiftly pluck the bite size piece of food from the dish and either eat it or put it on your plate. Rice is served at the end of the meal and is considered a filler. To show that you are full, leave a small bit of food on your plate. A clean plate signifies that you want more.

Drinking: Tea will be served when you arrive and it is acceptable to drink it any time you wish. Alcoholic beverages must not be drunk before the initial toast from the host. After this toast, you can drink more but with each sip, you must toast someone at the table. When you toast or are toasted, you must take care to only drink as must as the other person. Sometimes the toaster will declare before hand how much he would like you to drink. It is important to try to toast every person at the table in order of importance, with your host being first.