This time in China Business Opportunities, we are going to talk about the proper way of addressing people in China.

Chinese names is formulated in a different order than Western names. Their last name comes first and then a generational name, followed by their first name. Generational and first names can be separated by a space or a hyphen, but are frequently written as one word. The generational name is usually the first word of a two-worded first name. An example of a Chinese name in proper order would be Li Chenying.

Most people should be addressed with a title and their last name. If a person does not have a professional title, use “Mr.”, “Madam”, “Miss”, plus the last name. A married Chinese woman usually retains her maiden name; she will use her husband's last name on occasions for formal addressing only.

Many Chinese, especially those in the big cities, have an English first name to make it easier for foreigners to address them. You can expect to hear some rather odd and rare English names as they have no idea what the norm is, they usually take their names from novels or TV shows. (Yes, I have heard names such as Kitty Chow, Goldilocks, Barbie, and even Apple!)

Address people using official titles such as “General” “Committee Member”, or “Bureau Chief” whenever possible. It is importnat to remember: address the deputies by skipping the word 'deputy,' such as, 'Chief' for 'Deputy Chief,' 'Chairman' for 'Vice Chairman' 'General Manager' for 'Assistant General Manager.' They may feel offended if you did it otherwise.

Unless you're a Communist, never refer to someone as “Comrade.”

Next time on Business Opportunities in China, we are going to talk about the custom of gifts in a business setting.