Have you traveled to China for business?

So who can tell me how to say “wish me luck” in Chinese? This weekend I leave for my very first trip to China. I’ll be visiting Suzhou and Shanghai, as I mentioned in my column this month, and while I’m dreading the plane ride, I’m really excited about the trip itself. The purpose of my visit is to learn about doing business in China; I’ll be meeting with many multinational corporations and finance officials, as well as learning from cultural coaches the subtleties of negotiating and conducting business with the Chinese.

Have you traveled to China for business? Yes, several times Yes, just once No, never been for business Not yet, but I do plan to in the future If poll form doesn't work in your email, Click Here.

Last week at the AAMA meeting, many industry friends gave me some good advice about my pending journey (though, based on the demographics of this industry, none were particularly helpful in pointing me to prime shopping opportunities). I also received a lot of feedback from readers who stumbled upon my column and had some thoughts for me. If you’d like to throw yours in the mix, you know how to reach me.

Finally, to my question this week. I’d like to know how many of you have made the trip to China in a business context? Did you go over to see first-hand how your suppliers conduct business? Send me an email to share.