Body Language

Chinese tend to stand closer to other people than Americans do, even when they are not in crowds. It is also common in Europe to come up right next to the person you’re talking to, but we Americans tend to like a large circle of space around us. We lounge. We stride. We take up space. Perhaps five thousand years of living in a densely populated country is the reason Chinese stand close, but it is also a sign of politeness. To stand at a distance from a colleague or friend and shout would seem unfriendly. However, some Americans can find it disconcerting at first when a Chinese friend or
colleague moves into one’s spatial comfort zone.

      Chinese also tend to be more “hands-on” than Americans, but this generally extends only to people of the same sex unless the man and woman are a couple. Even then, open displays of affection are uncommon even for married couples of a certain age while they are increasingly common for young Chinese in their twenties and below. For example, if two women are good friends, it is not uncommon for them to walk arm in arm down the street to shop. Similarly, young men can put their arms across each other’s shoulders and stand very close with no sexual connotation whatsoever.


     Some physical contact relates to age. Younger people are expected to take the arms of much older people to help them up or down stairs, through narrow passageways, or to step over curbs or anything that might cause the older person to trip.


    Chinese tend not to make as many hand and arm gestures as Americans. Americans should try to refrain from pointing directly at someone when making a point or gesticulating into what they assume is empty space around them; otherwise they might just strike a colleague who is hovering nearby.

    Sexual Harassment

If you are a woman and a Chinese man is touching you a lot, do not write this off as normal behavior of a different culture. To accept this behavior would be to give the impression that you are open to his sexual advances. Instead make your displeasure known quickly and firmly and try to get away from the man. If you are in a crowded area, shout “Bu!” very loudly (pronounced “Boo!”) and look angry so that others might assist you or you might embarrass the man into going away. (Bu means “no” in
Chinese and, if said forcefully, it will be pronounced in the correct tone. It is the easiest word to pronounce under duress if you don’t speak Chinese and that’s why we recommend it here.) Unfortunately, a persistent stereotype exists in China that American women are “easy” because of images from Western movies, where women are sometimes depicted to be very easy indeed.

      To avoid giving the impression that you are sexually coming on to a Chinese person, the most important thing to remember is that touching members of the opposite sex can easily be misinterpreted. And if a misunderstanding should occur, smile to show that your intentions are friendly while apologizing if the Chinese person seems offended.

Cross-Cultural Changes

       China does not have as many strict prohibitions regarding body language as other Asian countries, such as Japan, where even blowing your nose in public discreetly into a tissue can be considered an affront; Thailand, where you must never point your foot or shoe at someone; or Cambodia, where touching someone, even a child, on the head is considered very disrespectful.
And the Chinese are working hard to understand what Americans consider normal and friendly. For example, when then President Hu and President Bush met at the G-8 summit in 2006, Hu greeted Bush with open arms to embrace him in a hearty hug. This is not typical Chinese behavior, as no Chinese leaders are ever seen hugging each other in greeting, but an obvious sign that Hu had been studying American body language. In this regard, the Chinese tend to be more forgiving of American

movements that might have caused stares a mere decade ago.