INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS travellers in Shanghai have given the thumbs up for the services available in China, but they advise other travellers to be prepared when going into what is often uncharted territory.
Standard services such as fax, internet, computers, printers and interpreters can all be found at even three-star hotels, but there are often other considerations overlooked, say veteran travellers.
Transport issues, mobile phone standards, time differences and the importance of having business cards with Chinese characters are some of the things to note when doing business in a market where English is not widely spoken.
'Language is a huge problem,' said Diamantis Lemos, who spends an average of 150 days a year in China since he started doing business for his London-based shipping firm.
When Mr Lemos visits Shanghai he stays at the Grand Hyatt Shanghai, in Pudong's Jin Mao Tower. He said the hotel's services were as good as anywhere. Arranging plane tickets, supplying an office or setting up late-night conference calls or a game of golf were all easily arranged by the Hyatt's 'communication centre'.
He said it was important for non-Chinese visitors to have a native speaker accompany them in their travels around the mainland.
