GOING DUTCH IN BEIJING

Why shouldn''t you offer to pay for your share of the meal in China? Or say ''chin chin'' as you raise your glass in Japan? Or use the ''thumbs-up'' sign to mean ''that''s OK'' in Sardinia? In China, your host will lose face if he doesn''t pick up the tab. In Tokyo, ''Chin chin'' is slang for ''small penis''. In Sardinia a raised thumb means ''Sit on this!'' - try that in a traffic jam in Cagliari. The world is not, in fact, flat; and as travel becomes ever easier, understanding the way things are done in other societies becomes ever more crucial. "Going Dutch in Beijing" aims to help its readers avoid minor international incidents by offering a light-hearted but informative look at everything from first greetings to last rites, covering key minefields of misunderstanding along the way. If you want to know what not to say, what not to wear and what not to do when you are invited round for dinner, all around the world, it''s as well to get up to speed before you find yourself in the local police station.