Martin Li

    martin.mouse@163.com

    SHENZHEN launched a one-month citywide campaign to promote international etiquette yesterday in an effort to boost the city’s ongoing drive to become an international metropolis.

    “The campaign will include a series of activities to introduce international etiquette to local residents in the form of lectures, salons and media reports,” Tang Lixia, head of Shenzhen Municipal Foreign Affairs Office, said at yesterday’s launching ceremony at Shenzhen Book City CBD Store in Futian District.

    Diplomats, entrepreneurs and scholars will be involved in the campaign.

    Tang stressed the importance of etiquette in her speech and said each resident is a “name card” of Shenzhen when they stay in the city or go abroad.

    Shenzhen’s publicity head, Wang Jingsheng, unveiled the cartoon image of the campaign, which is a bird named “Xiaopeng.”

    Three professionals shared views on the importance of international etiquette in an open discussion in the wake of the ceremony.

    “Grasp of international etiquette is a basic skill for Chinese to get involved in international communication and exchange. If you want to be respected by people, you should respect people first,” said Wu Jianmin, former Chinese ambassador to France.

    A seasoned diplomat, Wu is a member of Shenzhen’s advisory committee on the internationalization drive.

    Wu recalled that a French entrepreneur used to refuse to see a Chinese customer again because the customer didn’t look into the French’s eyes during three consecutive handshakes.

    Wu said Chinese should learn about others’ cultures, including their etiquette, instead of turning a blind eye simply because of growing wealth.

    Julien Gaudfroy, a French anchor of Beijing-based China Radio International (CRI), said most Chinese he met are respectful and tolerant about foreign cultures.

    (Continued on P3)

    “Although it’s common for people to feel at a loss in a foreign environment, there are two basic skills that can work almost each time: smile and eyes of kindness,” said Gaudfroy, who has been living in China for 15 years, in perfect Chinese.

    Gaudfroy is co-host of “Laowai’s Viewpoint”, a program on CRI.

    Gaudfroy recalled that when he chose to scold a man who let his child pee on the ground while in line at a hospital in Beijing, his wife went up to ask the man to use some papers to clean so that others don’t slip.

    “I was impressed by my wife. Next time I may go up to stop uncivilized behaviors,” said Gaudfroy.

    At the end of the salon, people at present signed on a billboard that calls for civility.