A case in point was a wonderful flounder being served to neighboring Chinese customers.

But another aviation executive suggested that the Chinese customers might have second thoughts.

To do that, it helps to know what the Chinese customers are eating.

Its biggest Chinese customer was a company that made automotive glass.

"In general, Chinese customers are slow to decide, but once decided, everything has to go very fast," he said.

Chinese customers prefer their chickens whole, and not just because they eat nearly every part of the bird.

Foreign companies, salivating at the thought of 100 million Chinese customers, cannot stop themselves from signing on the dotted line.

"We did have a Chinese customer on board," he admitted.

"This is a grown-up, adult approach to better serving Chinese customers abroad."

Now he also keeps fresh ginger root for new Chinese customers.