How do Chinese address foreigners?
Answer: Officially, foreigners are addressed as Waibin (foreign guests or foreign friends) but privately, they are call as Lao Wai.
In China, it is a usual practice, also the most intimate and friendly way, to address people with the word "Lao" added before the family name. For example, people may kindly call Mr. Li as Lao Li. Not least, people also call those who come from Guangdong Province as "Lao Guang," and those from Jiangxi "Lao Biao".
Analogically, they call foreigner "Lao Wai". Pronounced somewhat like "law why", this address means "old foreigner". It is not intended to be aggressive or insulting. So when you hear people call you "Lao Wai", you should feel complemented since it seems that Chinese have treated you as their own fellows.
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How should foreigners greet Chinese?
Answer: With the development of economy and culture, most ordinary people living in large cities can speak a little bit of English. So, a "hello" or "how do you do?" is acceptable to most of them. Also, it will be more interesting if you are able to greet them in Chinese. The typical Chinese greetings include nihao (hello) and jiandao ni hen gaoxing (nice to meet you).
Of course, as a kind of universal language that needs no translation, a smile or a wave will also elicit a friendly response.
On some occasions, shaking hands is a good means to greet Chinese people. However, when shaking hands with a Chinese woman, do not hold it too tightly - a light shake of the fingers will do the job.
In China, embrace is not a usual way to greet each other, except between family members and good friends. Kissing, whether on the cheeks or on hands, is unacceptable to the Chinese.
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How do foreigners address Chinese people in business and social circumstances?
Answer: In both business and social environments, professional title is often used after the family name when address a people. For example, a people with the surname of Wang is addressed as:
Wang jingli (Manager Wang) when he is the manager of a company.
Wang zhuxi or Wang zongtong (President Wang) when he is the president of a country.
Wang buzhang (Minister Wang) when he is the minister of a department.
Wang zhuxi, or Wang huizhang (Chairman Wang) when he is the chairman of an organization.
