The standard working day lasts from 9am to 6pm, though many office workers stay at their desks far longer. Some businesses require employees to work on Saturday mornings. Lunch lasts from 1pm until 2pm, but lavish business affairs can go on for three hours.

Attending business and social functions without business cards is akin to arriving naked. The card culture has its own etiquette that can seem strange to Westerners but has its practical advantages—each card is a record of meetings and a potential business contact. When presenting or receiving cards, always use both hands. A hundred can be printed quickly for around [00a3]14. If you’re attending a convention or trade show, it’s worth bringing at least 300.

Colours have a different cultural significance for the Chinese: funeral mourners wear white, brides’ dresses are red. Polish your chopstick skills before you come because dissecting your dinner with a knife and fork looks primitive to Chinese eyes.

Be aware of ‘face’, a Chinese concept of respect and standing in the community. Offending someone in front of others will make them lose face. This is a serious matter that should not be taken lightly. Wherever possible, it is advisable to help people gain face by offering respect. The perception some Westerners have of the People’s Republic of China as a sinister communist state is not shared by Hong Kong’s population. Ranting on about the ‘red menace’ will baffle any audience.