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What body language to avoid in China?

Body Language
The Chinese dislike being touched by strangers. 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.
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What is a rude gesture in China?

A: A thumb placed between the middle and index fingers is an offensive gesture in some parts of China and its meaning is similar to giving the middle finger in Western countries. But Chinese people don't gesture very much and most consider hand gestures to be unnecessary and annoying.
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What to avoid in Chinese culture?

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.
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What gesture and taboos to be avoided when doing a business in China?

7 Gestures to Avoid in China
  1. Big, excessive hand movements.
  2. Getting touchy.
  3. Pointing your finger.
  4. Winking and whistling.
  5. Gesturing with your feet.
  6. Take a business card with one hand.
  7. Point your chopsticks.
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How not to greet someone in China?

Don't
  • Don't offer too firm of a handshake. A firm handshake could be construed as a sign of aggression.
  • Don't go straight for a hug. Especially when meeting someone for the first time. ...
  • Don't address elders using 'ni hao' (/nee haow/). Instead, use 'Nin hao' (/neen-haow/ 'you good').
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Useful Hand Gestures Widely Used in China

How is physical contact viewed in Chinese culture?

Physical Contact: The Chinese generally do not touch people that are strangers to them unless it is unavoidable (i.e., in a crowd). However, close friends or the same gender may stand or sit close to one another or walk arm in arm.
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What is Chinese body language etiquette?

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.
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What are some nonverbal behaviors of people in China?

Nonverbal communication in China

People will sometimes avoid eye contact in China during conversations, especially when talking to those of the opposite sex or to strangers. They will also not talk about feelings directly, but rather communicate them with facial expressions, tone of voice, or body posture.
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How do you reject someone nicely in Chinese?

You can also use “我再考虑一下(wǒ zài kǎolǜ yí xià)”, “我再想想(wǒ zài xiǎngxiang)”, “算了吧(suàn le ba)” or “再说吧(zài shuō ba, )” to reject people politely.
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How can I impress a Chinese person?

Phrases Which Will Impress Your Chinese Friend
  1. The Greeting. You can never go wrong with a pleasing greeting at the beginning of any of your conversations. ...
  2. Asking Questions, Instead of the Opposite. ...
  3. Diving Deeper Into Their Culture. ...
  4. Sharing Traditions! ...
  5. Learn to Compliment. ...
  6. The Goodbyes.
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Is China safe for Americans to visit?

China - Level 3: Reconsider Travel. Reissued with updates to COVID-19 information. Reconsider travel to the People's Republic of China (PRC), including the Special Administrative Regions (SARs) of Hong Kong and Macau due to arbitrary enforcement of local laws.
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Which one is a taboo gift in China?

Chinese Gift Giving Taboos || Avoid These

In China, is not a good idea giving clocks (送钟 sòng zhōng), umbrellas (伞, sǎn), pears (梨 lí) or shoes (鞋 xié) as they all have “bad” homophones: 送终 sòng zhōng) “attending a funeral ritual” (送终 sòng zhōng), (散 sàn) “to separate”, (离 lí) “leaving or parting” and (邪 xié) evil.
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What are 3 things that are banned in China?

20 things banned in China
  • Most foreign films. The few foreign films shown in China are usually action flicks. ...
  • Protests and demonstrations. Protests are very rare in China. ...
  • Major foreign websites and apps. ...
  • Virtual private networks (VPN) ...
  • Prostitution. ...
  • Pornography. ...
  • Violent video games. ...
  • Unlimited gaming time.
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What not to give a Chinese business partner?

Items to avoid giving
  • The word for 'Shoes'in Chinese (鞋) sounds a bit like the Chinese word for 'evil''heretical'(邪). ...
  • Avoid giving umbrellas, scissors, handkerchiefs or pens containing red ink and avoid signing cards with red ink.
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Is it rude to leave food in China?

In China, leave some food on your plate – it's rude to clean your plate, like you're telling your host that he or she did not provide you enough.
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What is the number 1 in Chinese culture?

The number 1 (一, pinyin: yī; Cantonese Yale: yāt) is neither auspicious nor inauspicious. It is a number given to winners to indicate the first place. But it can also symbolize loneliness or being single.
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What not to do while eating in China?

There are certain etiquette rules everyone should follow when eating Chinese food. Examples include not putting soy sauce on fried rice, never crossing chopsticks on the table, never sticking chopsticks straight up in rice, never popping a soup dumpling, and never flipping a fish.
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Why is winking rude in China?

In China, the gestures of winking and whistling have very negative connotations. They are aggressive in nature and there is a sexual meaning behind them so it's best to avoid them.
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What does touching your nose mean in China?

In Western Culture, when you touch your chest or heart, it implies me or I. In China however, if you intend to mean yourself, you touch your nose. In some western culture, touching your nose means you are pausing to think about a situation.
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Is middle finger offensive in China?

China. Extending the middle finger is a rude gesture in China. The Chinese see it as a sign of boredom and disrespect because they use one finger when pointing at animals. However, the context of using this gesture can define its meaning.
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Do Chinese people accept compliments?

In fact, they accept compliments as much as do speakers of many Western languages such as English and German. We attribute this change to the influx of Western cultural influences that has occurred in the City of Xi'an since the early 1990s.
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How do you say sorry to a Chinese girl?

6 Ways to Say Sorry in Mandarin Chinese (and 4 Ways to Respond)
  1. 不好意思 (bù hǎo yì si) — “Sorry About That” ...
  2. 对不起 (duì bù qǐ) — “Sorry” ...
  3. 抱歉 (bào qiàn) — “I Sincerely Apologize” ...
  4. 是我的错 (shì wǒ de cuò) — “It's My Fault” ...
  5. 我错了 (wǒ cuò le) — “I Was Wrong” ...
  6. 是我不对 (shì wǒ bù duì) — “It's My Bad”
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How do you call someone with respect in Chinese?

Sometimes, you can use “大哥”( dà gē)/ “哥”(gē) or “大姐”( dà jiě)/ “姐”( jiě) for people who are not much older than you to show respect or build a close relationship.
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Is eye contact rude in China?

Making eye contact in China is a sure-fire way to make enemies, not friends. The Chinese people view eye contact as a necessary tool, but not in the same way that other cultures do. In China, people make eye contact when they are angry. It is meant to challenge the other person and is a sign of disrespect.
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What does thumbs down mean in China?

informal. used to show disapproval of something. 拇指向下;不贊成,反對
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