Since your Chinese friends will always
without fail beat you to the punch, since you are an honoured guest in China, here is what we sometimes do:
Towards the end of the meal, go to
the bathroom and on the way there just quietly pay the bill. This usually works.
This technique should only be used
with Chinese at your own social level, or who are lower than you in Chinese etiquette - younger, employees - or students and
friends at the same level.
That is because you never want to
cause embarrassment - or loss of face - to a Chinese who considers himself or herself at a higher social level!
