In time, Chinese tourists will learn to behave better abroad

I smile to myself just to think that I, a former spitting champion, should write a piece about manners (or, rather, the lack of them) among the Chinese. Back in the 1980s when I was still a rocket factory girl in Nanjing , I used to have competitions with fellow workers to see who could spit the farthest. This seemed okay at the time, as everyone spat. The floors and walls of our workshop were splattered with yellow stains.

But spitting on the street in a foreign country in the 21st century? Some of my compatriots obviously do this. Spitting, littering, speaking loudly, queue-jumping and writing graffiti on cultural relics are common among misbehaving Chinese abroad.

Recently, while visiting the Maldives, President Xi Jinping urged the tourists to behave themselves: "Do not litter water bottles everywhere. Do not damage the coral reefs," he said.

Leaders have reasons to worry. Already, China has image issues. Wang Yang , a vice-premier, said last year that the misconduct of tourists "damages the image of the Chinese people and has a very bad impact".

Even before the warnings, the government had issued detailed decrees on how tourists should behave while abroad. I am glad the authorities are taking the issue seriously, but how much notice will increasingly individualistic Chinese take?

Some aspects of their behaviour can be attributed to the cultural environment. Take the habit of speaking loudly. The Chinese environment is often quite noisy, and if you speak too softly - or "hum like a mosquito" as we would say - no one can hear you.

As to China's ubiquitous spitting, many Chinese claim to do so for health reasons, to clear the lungs and throat. There's also a deep belief that swallowing phlegm is bad for you.

Some poor behaviour is not excusable, though. I blame the Chinese people's lack of public concern, one of the shortcomings of our national character. Some of my neighbours casually throw rubbish out of their kitchen windows while keeping their own floor as polished as a mirror.

Better educated citizens tend to have better public manners. But those who can afford overseas holidays are not necessarily well-educated or worldly. Newly gained wealth can lend a certain arrogance to some who feel they are entitled to do as they please.

Plenty of Chinese have yet to learn to respect local cultures or local laws. The rule of law isn't well-established on the mainland. It's little wonder that the smoking ban in restaurants hasn't worked at all.

American and Japanese tourists met with similar criticism when they first ventured abroad. Chinese tourists overseas, who numbered nearly 100 million last year, have to learn to behave.

The Japanese have become very popular as tourists the world over, given their willingness to spend as well as their courtesy.

In the long run, with more money, higher education levels and more exposure to the outside world, I trust that my fellow citizens will also adopt appropriate manners. I myself have modified my speaking volume. I still spit, but mostly into a tissue. And I've learnt to refrain from spitting on the British ambassador's lawn when I am invited to attend the Queen's birthday party.

Lijia Zhang is a writer, journalist and social commentator