Drinking is an important part of Chinese entertaining and is considered a social lubricant. The drinking officially begins after the host offers a short toast to the group.
It is always a good idea for the guest to return the toast either right away or after a few courses have been served.
Safe topics for toasts are [...]

All cultures communicate differently. One of the single biggest mistakes Americans will make is to assume the our communication style will be accepted by the Chinese. Here are some simple guidelines for communicating with Chinese:
Introductions are formal. Use formal titles.
Often times Chinese will use a nickname to assist Westerners.
Being on time is vital in China.
Appointments [...]

Throughout much of Chinese history, the fundamental glue that has held society together is the concept of guanxi, relationships between people.
Networking within the society is very strong and it has a term called Guanxi. Understanding this aspect of Chinese culture is extremely important if you plan to work with or deal with the Chinese. It [...]

IP PROTECTION CENTERS
The State Council and State Office of IP Protection under the Ministry of Commerce has established 50 service centers across the country to receive reports and complaints related to IP. These 50 centers are spread over 31 provinces.
The Services Include:
1. Consulting on IP Issues for owners of IP and for the public [...]

Here are some little known China IP Facts:

During the period 2002-2006, courts in China accepted a total of 54, 321 cases of IP suits. The courts heard and passed sentences on 52, 437 cases with an annual increase of 17.1% and 19.3% respectively for the same period.
In 2006, courts across the country accepted 1,396 IP [...]

IP Protection is an important aspect of China’s reform and opening. As part of building up their legal system, China has enhanced IP protection in keeping with international practices. Since the 1980’s, many achievements have been made in IP legislation and enforcement. China has entered into relevant international treaties and participated in activities hosted by [...]

While China is a big country half a world away from USA, this should not deter the small and mid-size business owner from exploring uni or bilateral opportunities. If you take out the State Owned Enterprise’s (SOE), a very high percentage of Chinese businesses are entrepreneurial, who all are dealing with similar issues at their [...]