I don't get any of these reactions. I know nothing of Shanghai for comparison. However, I will have to be convinced that any of the above is really significant, with the exception of the reactions that Sarah 1998 gets when she says she's German I've noticed that a lot of people in both mainland China and Taiwan don't have a good grasp of the European war of WWII, and this has always bothered me, especially when people indicate that they think that Hitler's being a strong leader is admirable (although this does not necessarily indicate overall approval of Hitler - though sometimes I think it does). But then how many Westerners understand much of anything about the Japanese war in China, which lasted far longer?

@OP, they are asking probably because you actually run a business? If that's the case it would be like asking "How's work?".

i'm here for quite a while but what is this how is your business question?
coz i never heard it in it's literal translation or in it's meaning.
but maybe i am not up to date with the latest greetings.

i usually get the
...did you eat yet? which as already said is not about food.
...Where are you from?
..a what's up?
...or a nice to meet you.

anything else comes later in the chat.

I'm even not calculating all old stereotypes in conversation about my origin country, that is understandable when you got we have not the same educational/cultural level.

I run a public business, so it's also difficult to avoid this kind of persons.

the approach of this post maybe is confusing about the kind of greetings.
The real point was about relations between local laowai.

I have laowai neighbors, they never come as client in my place; i don't care, personal choices. But how it come such a big interest about my business, then?

I also have friends running public businesses here in Yunnan, and asking about how their business goes, is one of my last interest.

I'm just surprised about this point, since in my past experience in other places in China, it's a totally different kind of relation.

How's your business, though?

Pretty well, Yankee. But I have some skills, nothing it's a case.

I have never been asked about business. Chinese people usually just say hi, or ask if I have eaten, or just ask something to start a conversation. Foreigners usually ask how I am, as that is the custom in many Western countries.

@blue. if you run a 'public business' and often meet your customers you shouldn't be surprised by this type of greeting. in fact, it may be more personal and friendly than 'how are you?' because the person is showing some familiarity... they know that you run a business. you seem to hold a very negative opinion of some groups and that can't be good for anyone. cheer up, get over it and be happy!

@debaser, I cheer up and i'm happy most of times. I think you cannot be in a friendly/familiar relation till the topic of chat is about rent, business, money. Trust me, there's more negativity in these questions than my approach. Same question can come out in a conversation, smoothly, in another way...but I see that pretty rarely happen and I see these cases more friendly of course. My intention was to have a comparison with other local-laowai, if happen the same also for someone else or not.

@blue, what about you? How do you usually greet people? Friends or not.