The Specificity and Universality of Chinese and Western Politeness

Politeness is a universal pragmatic phenomenon, but due to different culture and social value, the politeness of each language may be diverse. Some Chinese scholars argue for the specificity of Chinese limao （politeness） and maintain that Western politeness theories are not applicable in China. Through comparing the difference and common points between Western and Chinese politeness, we can conclude that despite so much difference, there is not a East-West divide in politeness.