Protocolo Taiwan

Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands?
Some general guidelines on greetings and terms of address

By Terri Morrison
© Copyright 2004, All Rights Reserved

Physical greetings
Businessmen in the United States and Britain rarely have to endure a kiss on each cheek from another man. Even in countries where such greetings are common (Italy and Russia, for example), a kiss is generally reserved forrelatives or good friends. A foreign businessman will have to do a lot of relationship-building to reach the point at which he is greeted with a kiss. When that happens, the easiest thing to do is to stay still and let the kiss-initiating person move his head. Otherwise your noses may collide!
In Asia, Westerners rarely master all the intricacies of a bow. The basics usually suffice: bow from thewaist, and the person with the lower status bows more deeply. When greeting Westerners, many Asians follow a bow with a handshake.
As any politician can attest, strong handshakes can hurt. North Americans and Australians should moderate their strong handshakes overseas. Many Asians who do shake hands actually perform a hand-clasp, with no pressure and very little pumping. To give emphasis to ahandshake, it is permissible for each person to place their left hand over their clasped hands.
Forms of address
There are very few countries in which businesspeople address each other by first names after a short time. In Germany and Switzerland, for example, even longstanding business partners may choose to address each other by their surnames. North Americans commonly use first names, and arenotorious for losing credibility by using first names overseas.
Degrees of politeness
Some Asian languages have several degrees of politeness. To know which level to use, Asians need to know their counterpart's standing in society. Hence they often ask very personal questions of foreigners, such as how much they earn or how many employees they supervise, to determine the level of politenessrequired. If you find such questions too personal, simply decline to answer, or say that it is not something that is usually discussed in your culture.

Allow Me to Introduce Myself
Some hints on Business Card Usage around the World
By Terri Morrison
© Copyright 2004, All Rights Reserved

Take your time. It's impossible to convey respect if you fling your card at someone.
Remember that theleft hand is considered unclean in the Islamic world. Even in many non-Islamic areas of Africa and Asia, the tradition has evolved of using the right hand in preference over the left.
In some parts of Asia (notably Japan), presenting a card with two hands conveys respect. When using both hands, hold your card by the two upper corners.
When you receive a business card, immediately take time toread it. This is a good time to repeat the person's name, especially if it is in a language you're not familiar with.
While you may write on your own card, never write on someone else's business card.
Ideally, you should store your business cards in a small case. If you don't have a card case with you, put your cards in a front or side pocket.
It's only polite to have your card translatedinto the local language. One side of the card should be in your language, the opposite side in the local language.
Bring plenty of cards. In some countries, you will need two for each one-to-one visit, since the secretary will keep one card.

Hints for Business in China
Tips on Chinese traditions to assist you not only in China, but also in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore.
By Terri Morrison© Copyright 2004, All Rights Reserved

There are several Chinese dialects, which are mutually intelligible. Speakers of Mandarin (the official dialect of the People's Republic of China) cannot understand speakers of Cantonese
Written material must be translated. Be sure your translator uses the appropriate written style for your destination.
One of the most challenging things to translate...