一个最醒目和立即中國旅客的可認識的特徵在歐洲是他們的他們自己的Zhongcan，中國食物的鐘愛。 在許多情況下被迫對麵包，穀物和這樣滿足他們的天的第一胃口在旅館飯廳對他們是其中一移動的惡化在西方。

當午餐時間和正餐時間稍後帶來機會投入筷子到好用法和為一個好熟悉的東方宴餐時，開掘所有這欣然被忘記了。 不在這种不倫不類的餐館多數荷蘭男人叫「de Chinees」印度尼西亞和南部中國樣式烹調奇怪地被混合的地方，沒有，我們幸運地有地道中國小餐館我們的公平份額，許多盤從後面家熟練地準備，并且客人從漫長地方例如四川或黑龍江是足够愉快的平衡發現廣東烹調。

這個媒介介入所有讀者與舉足輕重的位置食物在中國文化肯定將關連與所有它的內涵戲劇一起。 所以在做事務與漢語成為吃和喝的角色的夥伴重要性 能幾乎不一起被過高估計。 When wielding their chopsticks and drinking their green tea or something stronger later on in the day the guests seem to find themselves at ease among elements of an alien culture surrounding them, while at the same time the engrained hierarchic patterns and internal group structure remain intact, and clearly distinguishable. Eating and drinking and then maybe some singing together (or even a bit of naughty entertainment) form an indispensable prelude to successfully building a close relationship, and as such an integral part of the trust and mutual confidence necessary for extending this into actually doing business.

We at Jingli Helan organize the leisure program for Chinese business delegations in the Netherlands from all walks of life in the Sino-Dutch business spectrum. Apart from arranging Mandarin-speaking tour guides for tailored tours we make it our business to make sure providing authentic food is well taken care of. The operative word here is guanxi: many of you will be familiar with this concept meaning something like personal relationship. Guanxi is what gets people a job, a home, adequate medical treatment, a chance in a trial and many more things.

It is certainly also the one thing that gets successful business done. It is built up by exchanging favors and gifts and needs to be maintained. For Dutch companies receiving business delegations what better way to return the favor of a cordial welcome in China then offering hospitality through the dinner table? We may never stop wondering how such a basic human need such as food fulfills a crucial role in the modern commercial world. Yet there may be lessons to be learnt from Orientals sitting at the dinner table together and taking the time to get to know each other before embarking on a business adventure together. Isn’t this building of mutual trust as a basis for commercial ties preferable to our Western fixation on contracts as an expression of distrust for business partners old as well as new?

The quintessential act of establishing, and reinforcing guanxi through an ancient ritual of nourishing the body and mind together may well be recognized as a cherished and beneficial influence from the East on the West in the near future.

Written by: Marc Combe
http://www.jinglihelan.nl/