"GuanXi" tip on business dinner with your Chinese clients

When you have dinner with your Chinese potential client, as ten courses and drinks (bai jiu) are served in your private dinner room, how do you feel?

"Have to maintain my professional composure! I need to be careful, friendly and trying to connect with the client, put my best foot forward at all times!"

"No way I will drink Bai Jiu ( Chinese strong liquor ) otherwise I will make a bad impression; I will embarrass myself if I can't use the chopsticks"

If all of those thinking resonant with you, I am telling you this is not right!

Let go, even you have beeb focused on business all day long, now is the time to have some fun, develop friendships, show them who you are outside of office and get to know others beyond their work personas. Gan Bei (bottom-up) each time when your client proposes a drink to you and using the same way to make a toast to them. Laughing out loudly with them and relax without concerns. I can guarantee once you finish a round Gan bei with them, everybody will love you! even though you get drunk and get high! By the way, we don't do drugs to get high EVER in China, so don't ask for it!??

China is a relationship-based business culture. Showing nonprofessional self is authentic who you are outside of business world. Join the crowd! The moment you switch from boardroom to restaurant is the time you need to begin acting as if you are out in the pub with your mates after your football match.

Be your personal self, not your business self! We love this kind of Foreigner to work together with?? Please feel free to leave any comment or tips to close the culture gap with your Chinese business partner.