Beijing - With suggestions to speak quietly, respect queues and put litter in bins, China has released a list of "dos and don'ts" for citizens intending to travel abroad.

Chinese tourists visit Kuala Lumpur. China has released a list of "dos and don'ts" for citizens intending to travel abroad.[AFP]

The country's main tourism body and the central government's Spiritual Civilization Committee issued guidelines this week to tell travelers how to behave when overseas, the Xinhua news agency said Tuesday.

"The move aims to promote civilized behavior among Chinese travelers and restore the country's image, which has been tarnished by the behavior of some Chinese tourists," Xinhua said.

"Uncivilized behavior is becoming a real embarrassment for China."

Among the guidelines for Chinese travelers are to not litter, not talk loudly, respect queuing rules, be polite in public places and observe the rule of "ladies first", according to Xinhua.

Spitting is another habit at the top of the "don't" list.

The number of Chinese traveling overseas has rocketed in recent years as many in the nation of 1.3 billion people have become wealthier.

Chinese tourists made 31 million trips abroad last year, with that number expected to rise to 100 million by 2020, Xinhua said.