What to wear
The Chinese culture is very traditional and this also extends to their manner of dressing in the corporate. For males, the attire is not that much different from western countries. Men are expected to be in suits over button-up shirts with neutral colors, they are paired with formal trousers and closed shoes. For females, you should always wear conservative clothing. If you prefer to wear a dress, make sure it drops at knee level and it’s dark-colored. Refrain from wearing point or high heels. Women’s shoes should not have heels above an inch or two and should never be open-toe sandals. Regardless of gender, footwear in the corporate scene is expected not to expose your feet. Wearing too much jewelry is frowned upon, not unless it’s a wedding band or a watch.

What to bring
Business cards are normally being exchanged during business meetings and even during informal discussions with counterparts. Always bring a business card with you and exchange it using both of your hands as a sign of respect. As a courtesy, make sure a Chinese version of your card is printed on the other side. Never bring gifts when attending a business meeting, it may appear as bribery. If you are about to present a proposal, be sure to bring extra copies for handing out, you don’t know how many of your counterparts will be attending and it is wise to bring extra. When preparing documents for distribution, make sure it is translated in Chinese because most locals in mainland China do not understand English. Lastly, it is best to bring a translator with you when meeting with locals to have a better flow of and understanding of the conversation.

What to expect
Punctuality is expected among your Chinese counterparts. Although they are not strict when it comes to the duration of the meeting, they value the time when the meeting has to start. Expect a little small talk that may not be related to your agenda, Chinese would like to know their counterparts better before getting into business with them. Locals in the country are indirect when it comes to verbal communications, when they acknowledge a problem and note that “it is not serious,” expect that it will be a point of concern for them, so it is advised that you address the slight negatives in their comments.

What you should know
The corporate setup in China is strictly hierarchical. People give special treatment to high-ranking officers and allow them to make final decisions. Even when entering a room, the person with the highest position always goes in first and has a special location on the table. This culture has been passed on from generation to generation and is a tradition kept for many decades.

China has one of the highest employment of women in their labor force, however, females have always been discriminated against from hiring to corporate treatments. You should know that service contracts for females are quite different too from that of males. If an applicant is a woman, they have to let her sign a “special agreement” if she is married, which would normally state that she is not allowed to get pregnant at a certain span of time. Although this is considered illegal, it is rampant in China. Unfortunately, women with a child already are less preferred to take positions inside the office. 

When it comes to corporate leaves, the following are applicable in China: