In China, when a person sits at a dinner party, he will very often refuse the (11) of food or drink though he is in fact still

In China, when a person sits at a dinner party, he will very often refuse the offer of food or drink though he is in fact still hungry or thirsty. This might be good manners to Chinese people, but it is definitely not in the West. In the United States, it is impolite to keep asking someone again and again or press something on him. Americans are very direct. If they want something, they will ask for it. If not, they will say, "No, thanks." They consider it confusing to avoid telling the facts, even if avoiding the truth is done only to be polite. Americans are taught that "Honesty is the best policy." But in some countries, courtesy might be more important than honesty. That’s where misunderstanding occurs, when people from two different countries meet.