With the influx of foreign visitors coming to Beijing for the Summer Games, many locals have been wondering which topics of conversation are appropriate to discuss.

In response, Dongcheng district officials in central Beijing recently issued a list of "Eight Don't Asks" as a guide for local residents to determine topics they should not discuss with foreigners. It advises locals not to ask international visitors about their age, religion, salary, marital status or other personal matters.

A commentary in the Beijing News noted that determining appropriate topics for casual conversation are a big problem in cross-cultural communication.

With thousands of foreigners coming to Beijing for the Olympics in August, many ordinary Chinese will have to deal with this cultural conflict for the first time.

The Chinese, who are not sensitive about being asked personal questions, are usually at ease when talking about such topics with others. But most foreigners consider it rude for strangers to ask them personal questions.

The commentary also said the guidelines should not become rules for everyday conversational etiquette.

Topics of conversation depend on specific situations, and there are no limits as long as both parties are interested in the topic and agree on what to talk about.

In many cases, so-called conversational taboos such as the "Eight Don't asks" actually can help people to further understand each other, the paper said.

The commentary suggested that it is more important for Chinese people to be good listeners, to hear voices from other countries, and to build mutual understanding when talking with foreigners.