Building personal relationships is an intrinsic part of doing business in China and exchanging gifts can help that greatly. But what do you take, and who should receive your gifts?
Here are a few tips from Ting Zhang, founder and CEO of Crayfish.io.
Ting says: “My planning for a trip to China usually starts with a list of people to visit, and then I work out gifts to take and spend some time ordering them in advance. If I’m really short of preparation time, then I’ll grab some presents at airport stores, although of course that can prove more costly.
“If you know someone very well, then a personalised gift is the best way to show your consideration. However, this can be time consuming if you are meeting a lot of people in a trip.
“I would get something that most people would like to have and can share with their family, such as nutrition supplements or chocolates. I sometimes get souvenirs with a Cambridge or London feature (or whatever represents your city or country).”
In a recent trip, Ting’s gifts included:
- Tea (English Breakfast and Earl Grey) in nice tins
- Scottish shortbread
- For the first time, New Zealand Manuka Honey, “which approved to be quite popular among my female contacts!”
Reciprocity is embedded in the Chinese relationship, so she often ends up with gifts to bring back: “This is typically Chinese tea, which we all enjoy in our office and with our visitors.”
Like the tradition of the Christmas card, it is the intention that matters – not the value of gifts, she adds. “Don’t spend a lot on expensive gifts, especially if you are giving to Chinese government officials or SOE chiefs. The current regulation is starting to look like what we have in the UK – officials must declare them if they are over a certain value. For those more formal occasions, use your company’s own corporate gifts, or consider getting some business souvenirs – for example cuff links with UK/China flags, which can be a safe gift.
If you want to understand more about the Chinese culture, do’s and don’ts for interacting with your counterparts in China, why not consider booking a Chinese business culture workshop from us?