Americans Can't Outdrink Chinese Businessmen?

The following is an excerpt from a guide for the American businessmen to negotiate with their Chinese partners.

“There is no business talk in China without at least one trip to a restaurant. Sometimes, a trip is made to the restaurant even before any business discussion take place! Inevitably, the restaurant will always be a grand one and you are likely to be hosted in a private room.

There is an elaborate seating arrangement for a Chinese business meal. There are fixed seating positions for the host and the guest and then they are seated again according to seniority. This is a very important aspect of a formal dinner and it is important that you follow the rules accordingly. However, it seems that the Northern Chinese are very particular to this formal seating arrangement while the Southern Chinese has loosen the formalities somewhat.

Drinking with the Chinese

The Chinese are big drinkers especially in Northern and Western China. It does not matter if it is lunch or dinner; as long as a meal is being hosted, there will be alcohol.

Chinese wine is the favourite, followed by red wine and beer. Chinese wine is more like fuel than liquor, having a alcohol concentration as high as 60%! No matter how good a drinker you may think of yourself, never, ever challenge a Chinese into a drinking contest. They will win, hands down!

It is often seen as rude not to drink with the Chinese in a formal dinner. To maintain your sanity, either claim to be a non alcoholic or plead medical grounds as an excuse. This will let you off the hook with little or minimal drinks. Better yet, bring a partner who can drink on your behalf!

After Dinner Entertainment

Formal business dinner normally drags for quite sometime as there will be much social talk, some karoake, and drinking contests. Most of the time, everyone is too drunk to indulge in further entertainment after a dinner. In addition, if you are just new to this partnership, you are unlikely to be invited to further after dinner entertainment.

However, once you are familiar with them, you may be invited to a Karaoke, or a Night Club, or a Suana. Do note that if they are the host for the night, all bills will be picked up by them for the night, including all entertainment. It is impolite to fight for the bill or worst, split the bills.

Similarly, if you are the host for the night, you are expected to pick up all bills for the night.”

Man Gets 8 Month In Jail For Having A Brew And Not Causing Problems

A 60-YEAR-OLD drunk was jailed again yesterday for a fifth breach of an anti-social behaviour order by walking into a pub.

Raymond Huw Evans, of no fixed address but who lives in the Bangor area, was out of prison for one day only when he breached his Asbo again - by going to a local for a drink..

Jailing him for eight months at Mold Crown Court, Judge Merfyn Hughes QC said if Evans was serious about wanting to stop drinking, he should seek probation service help when he is released.

It was accepted he had not caused any problems, or stirred up any harassment, alarm or distress among customers or staff.

But for Evans, in view of his large number of previous convictions, simply walking into a pub and having a drink is illegal under the terms of his Asbo.

The court heard how the original Asbo was imposed in July last year.

It stipulated how he must not enter a pub in the Bangor Pubwatch Scheme. He must not drink any alcohol in any public place in England or Wales, and he must not go begging.

But within a matter of days he breached it and was jailed for 28 days. He received a further 28 days for his second breach, then 56 days for his third breach last November.

In January this year, a 168-day sentence was imposed for the fourth breach but within 24 hours of being released he was found having a pint at The Menai public house in Bangor, said prosecutor Chris Moss.

Judge Hughes told Evans he had gone into a pub where he thought he would not be recognised.

"The serious nature of this offending is that you repeat such behaviour," the judge said.

"It is said that you are motivated to address your drink problem but there is no evidence to support that assertion.

"I accept that you did not cause any problems, or any undue harassment or distress by going into that pub.

Source – Welsh News