Overview:
My favorite annoying sign on a plastic cup in a Starbucks reads "Tipping is not a city in China". Conveniently for you, tipping is not something you need to worry about during your visit to China. Annoyingly, those plastic cups are starting to find their way to Starbucks counters in Shanghai...
Tipping:
Tipping is not generally expected in mainland China. Although bellboys and staff may have become used to the international traveler giving small tips in large hotels, it is not expected or required. Most larger hotels and some restaurants charge a service fee, e.g. 15%, so any guilt about not leaving a tip can be assuaged with this outrageous fee.
What Happens if I Tip?:
If you do decide to leave a tip, like the change leftover after a meal, your waiter may look puzzled or even try to chase you down to give it back. In larger cities, wait-staff are becoming used to foreign visitors leaving tips so they'll probably happily keep it. However, the bottom line is, in China, it certainly isn't necessary or expected to tip.
