Chinese Business and drinking culture (22nd Nov. 06)

If you are not familiar with Chinese business culture, you will very likely be interested in knowing about how drinking plays a very important part. When attending meetings in China (and also in South Korea) companies very often hire people and give them good job title's, when in fact there role may be as a drinker, to entertain and drink with other businessmen. This is a well known practice.

There is a philosphy in China and Korea that if you cannot trust someone when they drink, and let their inhibitions go, then you cannot trust them in business. The feeling also is that if you drink together, you will know each other better. Some businessmen are finding it too much these days and golf is becoming more popular as a way of entertaining clients. Whatever happens, you will probably find that things are done differently in China.
http://www.chinese-china.cn