The Queen caused an international stir when she was caught on camera describing a Chinese delegation as "rude". But was she merely echoing a common perception?
The good news is that Chinese food remains as popular as ever, with surveys consistently showing the cuisine among the world's favourites.
Meanwhile, China now sends more tourists abroad than any other country - their cash making a major contribution to the coffers of those host nations able to pull them in with the offer of beaches, beauty spots and heritage sites.
Yet the increasing encounters between Chinese people and the rest of the world also provide more possibilities for cultural misunderstanding and for the perception of rudeness.
"Their habit of spitting was the main problem," says Eddie Chan, who runs a Chinese health centre in central London. A long-time resident of the UK, he watched the first wave of Chinese tourists arrive and the reaction they provoked.
"Chinese people are also not accustomed to queuing. Their behaviour getting on a bus can certainly seem rude to foreigners."
