Small talk is an important part of business meetings in China. It is a bit different in China than in Europe and North America, but similarly there are topics which should be avoided, and topics which are preferred for small talk. It can feature a number of topics including the weather, art, food, shopping, places of interest, etc.
The Chinese may ask you about your age or salary. It is not impolite in Chinese culture. But if you don't want to answer these questions, you could offer an open-ended reply, for instance, "you guess" or "not too much".
In some cases you also might be confronted with rather private questions such as about your family. The Chinese are very family oriented, so don’t feel embarrassed when people ask you rather private questions, it is just small talk.
During a conversation with a Chinese person it is important to remember that negative replies are seen as impolite. So avoid saying “no” and instead reply with a “maybe” or “I’ll have to think about that”, etc.
