In the busy city of Shanghai classes in etquette are becoming very popular as Chinese people do more business with foreign companies. As people have more contact with foreigners they want to learn western table manners.
Etiquette is the most popular class at the Shanghai Institute for Foreign Trade. It is even more popular than traditional subjects like International Law and Finance.
In many parts of China, people traditionally use a bowl and chopsticks at meal times. They feel that they have to learn how to eat food from a plate with a knife and fork and how to observe good table manners.
Students are taught not to burp or spit at the table and not to order flesh from endangered species like sharks and bear, which could be upsetting for foreign visitors to China.
An etiquette trainer said that if China wants to be part of the global community it has to break bad habits.
There's a famous saying: 'when in Rome do as the Roman's do' - do you think this is important in the global community today?
هناك قول معروف عندما تكون في روما افعل مايفعله الرومان - عزيزي المستمع نحن بانتظار مشاركتك هل تعتقد ان هذا الامر مهم في مجتمعنا الكوني او اسرتنا الحكونية الحديثة ؟
Adam Azein in Sudan writes
Is it important for chinese to learn western table manners and the rest of the world as well? and do you think traditional manners will offend foreign visitors?