Why my dreams of quitting always go up in smoke

Many expats say China is a smoker's heaven and a quitter's hell. A halo of smoke hovers above most friendly male-to-male interactions, and sometimes, refusing to light up can damn a guest to a most undesirable loss of face.

Packets of cigarettes are common gifts for participants of fangwen (official visits), and hosts are particularly keen to load up out-of-town visitors with local brands.

I was recently on a fangwen, along with a non-smoker, who found it impossible to refuse a gift of top-brand cigarettes. The VIPs handed them over with a grin and a nod.