You don’t have to spend a lot to show respect.

You’ve been told to bring along small gifts for the various government officials and orphanage managers you’ll be dealing with. Let’s be clear: this is not because you’re a rich Westerner and these are not bribes in any kind of way. What you bring is not going to influence your adoption proceedings one way or the other.

What you are participating in with this is part of building and maintaining “guanxi” (“face”, or showing-respect) between the adoption community as a whole, the infrastructure that takes care of orphaned and abandoned kids, and the legal system that helps you bring them home. Guanxi is an important part of how things run in China, a mutual dance of give and take meant to build close working relationships. You may never encounter these people again, but your local contacts will; your adoption has been smoothed in part by the collective goodwill of the thousands of families before you. And your willingness to show respect helps the families who’ll be coming after you.

Now having said all that, the big revelation is that the gift itself is of secondary importance. “It’s the thought that counts.” Gifts are not opened in the presence of the gift-giver; likely they’ll be shared with the office or the family.

So if you think about what a good business gift would be back home, you’re going to do just fine.

The three big things to remember are:

1. •Don’t bring things that are MADE IN CHINA, for obvious reasons.
   

2. •Don’t bring things that are going to be trouble getting through Customs, even though Kentucky bourbon would be exactly what everybody would like to get. Fresh fruit is another popular gift, but that won’t work for you either.
   

3. •Don’t wrap the gifts.  Bring along some gift bags and tissue paper.
   

                           

Some good ideas for showing off your part of the planet:

1. •Music CDs of your local symphony or orchestra
   

2. •Small bottles of BBQ sauce (for those of you from cities with good ‘cue reputations) or maple syrup (the real stuff, locally bottled)
   

3. •Team logo merchandise, especially NBA -- but check those labels for country of origin, and don’t spend too much.
   

Other items that are always appreciated:

1. •Fine chocolate assortments - such as Lindt truffles or Ghirardelli wafers (and if you bring too much, you can always snack on it yourself and leave a generous amount for your hotel cleaning staff!)
   

2. •Small boxes of gourmet cookies, especially locally-baked.
   

3. •Bags of ground coffee - routine stuff for us but still a luxury in China. Choose one a local blend from your neighborhood roaster, or pick a well-known brand.
   

                               

Keeping these gifts under $10 each but still being thoughtful and office-appropriate is your aim. This will make packing and hauling your baggage easier too.