I have just finished writing a presentation on Modern Chinese Business Etiquette and Protocol for a workshop I am presenting next Tuesday. Here in Western Australian the corporate community is necessarily looking towards a greater understanding of the manners, etiquette and rituals of the Chinese as the country is now the biggest trading partner as a result of the “boom”in the resources sector here. I was fortunate to have a full time office of The Percy Institute in Singapore for 3 years from 2000. Despite many early difficulties, including learning the nuances of communication with Chinese business partners, the experience was extremely fulfilling. In 2002 we also opened an office in Shanghai. I used to stay in the apartment our company rented in a “middle class”(Chinese description!) area and one of the most joyful moments for me was joining the Chinese at dawn to practice the art of tai chi under beautiful trees. It was a gentle moment before 10 hours a day training, throu...