The Chinese traditional cultural values of harmony, benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom, honesty, loyalty, and filial piety are embodied in China's diplomacy through the concept of harmony, the most important Chinese traditional value.
The 12 values, written in 24 Chinese characters, are the national values of "prosperity", "democracy", "civility" and "harmony"; the social values of "freedom", "equality", "justice" and the "rule of law"; and the individual values of "patriotism", "dedication", "integrity" and "friendship".
Pragmatic, trial & error, quick response and problem solving are characteristics of how the Chinese organize work, which makes them very flexible. But, on the other hand, hierarchy is very important too. Networking is the key in Chinese business: Who you know is more important than what you know.
It is best to maintain composure when dealing with Chinese business people, the most you can do is use kind words, politeness or a faint smile. No matter how grateful you are, do not bring a gift and do not tip in a restaurant – they will not be received with joy!
Chinese often appear shy and self conscious to Westerners, especially when they are around foreigners or are in situations which they are not used to. Chinese don't like to be separated from crowd, stared at or asked too many personal questions (even though they often stare at and ask personal questions of Westerners).
In formal situations, people bow slightly or nod politely to greet one another formally. The bow is from the shoulders and should be greater if the person you are greeting has a higher status than you. If seated, the Chinese will stand up out of respect when they are introduced to someone.
Chinese people are generally very warm and welcoming towards foreigners. This often leads to a lot of preferential treatment.
Avoid directly criticising someone, pointing out their mistakes or giving insincere compliments. These are all actions that cause Chinese people to lose face. Do not draw on similarities between China and Japan, as these East Asian countries have distinctly different societies and cultures.
Across much of the Indo-Pacific region, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is using military and economic coercion to bully its neighbors, advance unlawful maritime claims, threaten maritime shipping lanes, and destabilize territory along the periphery of the People's Republic of China (PRC).
Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism are considered the “three pillars” of ancient Chinese society. As philosophies and religions, they not only influenced spirituality, but also government, science, the arts, and social structure.
National surveys conducted in the early 21st century estimated that some 80% of the population of China, which is more than a billion people, practice some kind of Chinese folk religion; 13–16% are Buddhists; 10% are Taoist; 2.53% are Christians; and 0.83% are Muslims.
It's all about the tones!
Mandarin operates with four different tones, meaning that the way that you say a word can give it four different meanings! It is this tonality – this pronunciation – that causes most trouble for nearly all new speakers and makes Chinese a difficult language to master.
The Chinese traditional cultural values of harmony, benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom, honesty, loyalty, and filial piety are embodied in China's diplomacy through the concept of harmony, the most important Chinese traditional value.
For traditional Chinese families, the man has the main responsibility to take care of and pay for the entire family, no matter for his children or parents, meanwhile, the woman is expected to stay at home and look after children and the elders. Normally the man will make the final call when it comes to decision-making.
Do not touch, hug, lock arms, back slap or make any body contact. Clicking fingers or whistling is considered very rude. Never put your feet on a desk or a chair. Never gesture or pass an object with your feet. Blowing one's nose in a handkerchief and returning it to one's pocket is considered vulgar by the Chinese.
In Chinese, the most common way to say “Hi” is “你好(nǐhǎo)”. Sometimes we may use “您好(nínhǎo)” to show respect to our teachers or the seniors. Besides “你好(nǐhǎo)” and “您好(nínhǎo)”, there are other ways to greet others in daily life. We like to ask about a person's action.
Don't put bones, seeds or other inedibles into in your rice bowl. Use a tissue or your hand to place them in the small plate provided — or observe how others deal with them. Don't tap your chopsticks. Tapping your bowl or the table with your chopsticks is considered rude and impolite.
Chinese smile for more reasons than Americans. A smile can mean the person is embarrassed, trying to be helpful, curious, happy or friendly. In the middle of an argument, smiling means that the speaker doesn't want this to become personal.
Chinese culture places a lot of importance on building and maintaining good relationships. So when we travel in China, we'll have the best experience possible if we strive to make as many friends as possible. And it's not hard to make friends in China. In fact, it can be just as easy as finding gold!
In Chinese culture, people express love through actions as much as words. You might decide to demonstrate your love through touch, holding your partner's hand, or cuddling up together when you have a moment alone. It never hurts to do something nice for that special person in your life.
More so than Westerners, many Chinese view dating as a pragmatic affair. It's not always about finding love so much as it is about finding a potential marriage partner who fits with one's own ideals.
The most common way to say “I love you” in Mandarin is 我喜欢你 (wǒ xǐhuan nǐ), as I mentioned before. That said, it's not wrong to say 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ) – “I love you” – either. It's just one of those phrases that a Chinese native speaker will understand but wouldn't often use.