Even Westerners have become familiar with the Chinese concept of saving face, but many of us don't realise how important the concepts of respect and heirarchy are in business relationships in China.

In the second part of his three-part series, David Thomas explores the necessary cultural standards that foreigners need to observe to be able to succeed and build business relationships in China.

David Thomas doesn't just talk the talk. He's spent 30 years working with Chinese investors in Australia, and Aussie companies looking to increase their business interests in China.

He travels to China regularly, working to open up the market for Aussie businesses, to build capability and to assist Aussie importers work with Chinese producers. He also facilitates relationship building and has particular expertise in the specific cultural and social environment that will cause difficulty for unwary Westerners trying to break into the market.

Of particular interest to the US events industry should be the growing Meeetings, Incentives, Conventions and Events (MICE) marketing in China. It generates over US$152 billion in revenue and is growing at 20% per annum. For US events companies looking for new opportunity, David's expertise is a must-have. And of course, he's a valued keynote speaker in Australia, and is ready to bring his wide-ranging expertise to the US.

As a starting point, check out his profile on Aussie Speakers USA and download his eBook "Three Cups of Tea", which explains succinctly the importance of relationship building in China - and how to successfully do so.

Everyone knows relationships are crucial to almost every business.

People trying to do business in China are often surprised that communicating with their counterparts initially feels similar, but they struggle to develop those critical relationships. That's because there are subtle, yet critical, differences to how business relationships and trust are formed in China.