These are exciting times, but they are not without their challenges. As China begins the process of entering the World Trade Organization, opportunities in the West for Chinese businesses and individuals will begin to increase at break-neck speed, and knowing the rules that shape the Western business world-the rules of etiquette that define for us the manners and protocol necessary to conduct ourselves properly amongst business people of all kinds and in all situations-will become essential. Lighting up a cigarette during desert, giving flowers to your bosses' wife as a gift, or not giving her a gift at all, tipping the waitress at a business lunch-these are all small gestures that could make the difference between success and failure in your business deal, between securing the job you've always dreamed about or taking an entry-level position out of desperation, or between being able to travel the world with a company expense account, or remaining in your province working at an hourly wage.

In Western business, no gesture is insignificant. Emily Post, the mother of etiquette for Westerners, believed that etiquette is made up of a series of "trivialities," of small gestures, that one can always learn, and that conducting oneself properly according to the situation becomes "the outward manifestation of one's innate character and attitude toward life." Far from simply following a set of rules to learn, and unlearn, as needed, respecting the rules of etiquette is, essentially, a way to show the world who you are.

This book is an introduction to the basic rules of etiquette for Chinese citizens hoping to enter into the world of Western business, especially into the world of American business. While the West in general, and especially the United States, has long been known for its relaxed attitudes toward social customs and traditions, the business world continues to move forward with standards that govern human interaction and general customs at almost every level. Whereas the rules that define Western social etiquette was based primarily on aristocratic customs and practices, and as such, the rules, like the aristocracy, have changed dramatically over time, the rules governing business etiquette were built largely on codes of military standards, and the changes over time have been much rarer. Knowing those codes will help you gain the respect necessary amongst your Western colleagues, and you will be better prepared to succeed in whatever your business endeavor is. Whether you are negotiating a joint venture with a United States Internet company, trying to secure a position with an international investment firm, or even if you are simply trying to get a foot in the door in a University research facility, reading this book will give you the tools of etiquette necessary for success.

In Part One, we will discuss the general points of etiquette which will help you with whatever endeavor you hope to involve yourself. You will learn the basic rules of dressing, greeting, gift giving, and eating. Although we use business examples to explain the various rules of etiquette you should learn, this section is general enough to be useful to any Chinese citizen who desires to learn how to communicate formally with Westerners, both in and outside of business environments, and both inside and outside of China

In Part Two, we turn to two specific and extremely important business situations: the job interview and the business meeting.

Success in the business world is, of course, dependant on much more than how you conduct yourself with your colleagues. You must have skills or a product that the world wants in order to succeed; but in a world as small as ours, with so many people and so many businesses competing for the same jobs and the same share of the marketplace, the "trivialities," the small gestures, that you learn in these few pages may make all the difference in the universe to you."