that's just the way they do. most of them just think that foreigners are exotic animals and acting the way we do in a zoo. so it would be better if you just do things their way: stare at them, point the fingers, shout "NIHAAAAAAOOOOOOOO". be like them and everything should be fine and well. mimicry

Men and women, they go through all my stuff. If I'm typing on my phone usually men look over my shoulder,even lean on me, no matter how many times I push them away, they come back, they don't get mad, usually don't go until I shoo them with a hand gesture. Sometimes even being on the other side of the planet they are too close, look at Sparkey.

the beauty of traditional chinese culture

Oh yeah and it's freakishly creepy.  I've even had fat taxi drivers suddenly just start stroking my arm and then lean over, and look at me intently and say "hao wanr".  OMG.  And I'm a guy!  And not that small.  The first time it happened, after taking a split second to actually realize I'm seeing what I think I'm seeing I stammered out a kind of "Stop that!  People from outside of China don't find that acceptable!" in Chinese.  I'm glad I didn't swear or punch the guy.  Given that that's how people treat me, I can only assume women here get properly groped on a daily basis and it's all supposed to be ok because that's "good fun".  My respect goes out to local and foreign women here - I will never understand how you put up with things.  (Although I do realize that's a small example and a lot of stuff goes on that's waaay worse than that.  Oh and I don't sit in the front of taxis anymore.)

EDIT: And one more thing - that "within about 10 cm of my face", why?! And why is it always, always the guy with the worst possible breath. I just don't get it. If it was a really hot girl that kept running her tongue across her lips hovering 10cm from my face it'd be great. That's not how it is, it's always 1. A guy, and 2. The guy that's been eating sewage for breakfast.

i used to think that they did not understand personal space, but it turns out like with every other rude behavior they just don't care. being rude in china is acceptable. 

if you think otherwise, watch closely when some guy leans into the personal space of sb sitting in the seat. you can see it bothers them. 

So it is not just me, who think it that way. In recent days, I have had 2 such examples. First was overweight Chinese guy in the office, who was showing me tasks on computer, getting in less than 10 cm face to face. Like his highly unpleasant face behind his thick glasses wouldn't be enough, he opened his sewer and didn't stop talking, spitting his toxic saliva all around the place. I [gently] pushed him away, asked him not to come that close, which stopped him for around a minute, but he decided to stick his face to mine again. FTW!? Hour or so later, he came back yet again, this time not [only] with face, but he thought it would be a good idea to push my chair with his boner a little bit, then to put his arm on my armrest and then to stick his ugly face to mine yet again. And that breath!? Don't some of this guys ever brush their teeth

Another one was his colleague which luckily had garlic for lunch, which made his breath "more pleasant". I am actually serious about this one. If you had somebody with sewer breath talking directly into your face, you know that garlic smell can actually be more bearable.

Anyway, this guy was not only talking to my face from couple of cm away, but also put his arm on my armrest too, tapping my shoulders, stick his armpit into my face, even though I clearly showed him that he is breaking my personal space. After I turned my head away and covered my mouth and nose in order not to get sprayed by his saliva completely he even raised his voice as probably thought I can't hear him so good anymore. FTW!?
As someone said, it is always guys with stinky breath doing that, never some pleasant lady, always some guy with sewer breath.

But I have solved this problem for my self. As apparently they don't get what is personal space, or how intrusive and rude that is, I shall return the favor. Whenever I will have teamwork with some of these guys again, I will simply not shower, take the stinkiest cloths to the work that day, not brushing my teeth and had garlic and onion for breakfast. Then will talk loudly and spit back into his face, pushing him around and all. Maybe he'd get some idea just how that feels afterwards. And the more he will move his face away, the more I will follow with mine, like they do.

Had that happen while I was playing a video game...guy came up put his water bottle on the machine and said look look you got a coin...he then asked if I wanted the tickets....I had to get the employee's to get him away from me. The guy at the game place told me he had mental problems, but after he tried to steal my tickets from me that was the last draw and I got the employee and gestured to him to get the stinky mouth away from me..

This is simply something you need to get used to living here.

At first it freaked me out but over time I got used to it..but it still gets annoying sometimes.

My best friend here is Chinese and when we are walking he is always too close..or sitting on the sofa...but as he is a friend I can just push him away.

With 1.3 billion people here personal space has a completely different meaning to them.  But as much as I have become used to it I still refuse to take a bus or the metro unless absolutely necessary.

Next time this happens to you give him a pack of gum or mints...he should get the hint.

The whole personal space thing is a big challenge for foreigners. when i was speaking to a group of students, i found myself moving back as they all moved closer to me. I eventually backed myself against a tree in an attempt to keep a certain amount of space. I turned this into a topic for conversation with the students, one of whom admitted that it was something they were unaware of. It is still something that is difficult to get used to.

Women at my work also get very close to my face when talking ..... And most of them have BAD breathe ....--( 

Women at my work also get very close to my face when talking ..... And most of them have BAD breathe ....--( 

What is your solution to this problem?

Maybe tomorrow we can all take a stand and tell people to back the hell up and give those nashers a good rub- maybe even a bleach...

I have the solution, pepper spray. It good for bad breathe also.