In China, if you are doing business, I’m sure you will find yourself sitting around the big round table in a separate room of a restaurant with a group of Chinese and you smile at each other, absolutely not knowing what to do and how to behave. Don’t worry.

Chinese people love to eat and love to enjoy their time during the meal. This can be seen and heard if you sit next to them.

One of the most well-known points is the fact that Chinese do not really care for their noises and sounds while eating. It is common to slurp and sip in China; you should thus not be offended by this behavior.

Yet, you should not believe that you are unable to follow a conversation just because of all the slurping and sipping. You should just keep in mind that some occasional noises are nothing to be ashamed of and it would not offend the Chinese table manners.

It is also allowed to speak while chewing or to smoke while eating – or even both things at the same time. Hmmmm….

But, do I care? What is more important than food and closing the business deal?

Just enjoy it. It’s Chinese hospitality.