Stop talking about that

From family planning policies to censorship controls and culinary customs, the way things are run in China seems to divide locals and foreigners who live here, with each side trying to figure out exactly what the other is thinking.

“The Chinese have always had mixed feelings of admiration and xenophobia towards foreigners and generally brush off any potentially irritating questions as a lack of understanding of Chinese culture,” says a 26-year-old banker surnamed Li from Wuhan.

But when does a healthy sense of curiosity go too far? We poll Shanghaining on the five most annoying questions they are often asked and how they would reply; then foreigners sound off on topics the irk them on the following page.

The questions that Chinese loathe

1. How is life without Facebook?

Foreigners seem to be obsessed with the Great Firewall of China, according to locals.

“They find it hard to understand how we can live without any Facebook, Twitter and Youtube,” says Li. Fearing further incitement of social unrest, the Chinese authorities blocked access to the social networking websites after the Xinjiang riots in 2009 and the ban has remained ever since.

But with popular Chinese equivalents such as Renren, weibo and Youku, few Chinese citizens feel like they are missing out.

“None of my friends use Facebook anyway, so why should I start an account?” says waitress Christine Li, 28.

“Besides, if we need to, we do know how to ‘jump over the wall,' too,” adds Li, referring to proxies that help netizens bypass the ban.

Many young Chinese aren't sweating the One-Child Policy.

2. What do you think of the One-Child Policy?

Most Chinese are tired of being quizzed on life sans siblings.

“I usually tell my foreign friends that it's great -- I never had to worry about competition from any other kids for love and attention,” says Guo Rui, 27, a Ningbo native who works in Singapore.

China’s One-Child Policy was first implemented in 1979 and restricted all Chinese couples, with the exception of ethnic minorities, to having only one child. The family planning measure is widely controversial within and outside China for its negative social consequences, most notably China's current gender imbalance and a generation of post-1980s spoiled brats sometimes referred to as "Little Emperors."

More on CNNGo: China's post-1980s artists and the One-Child Policy

 Sales assistant Lina Song, 24, feels that pampered only-children are in fact a global phenomenon that have been unfairly ascribed to China exclusively.

Being an only child also meant that she got to see her relatives more often, as her parents feared that she would grow up lonely and often organized large family gatherings.

“It brought me closer to my cousins. I refer to them as my ‘brother’ and ‘sister,' which tends to confuse many foreigners,” she says.

The fine for eating Fido in Guangzhou could be as high as RMB 500,000.

3. Why do Chinese people eat dog meat?

The Koreans do it, the Filipinos and Vietnamese occasionally do it, and even the ancient Romans did it too -- so why should China get all the bad press for consuming dog meat, say locals.

“Just to scare foreigners, I sometimes tell them that yes we do eat dog, and even cat too,” says Shanghaining Li Qingshun, 24, though he adds that this is a less common practice among the younger generation. Others says that this culinary preference is more common in southern parts of China.

“Dogs in developed countries are mostly domesticated, so many people from there will find it cruel to eat a pet,” adds Li. “But dogs are everywhere in China so most people in China don’t see any difference between eating dog meat and eating pork.”

More on CNNGo: Ban on eating cats and dogs goes down the wrong

However, the Chinese government has signaled a willingness to take dog meat off the market.

Officials ordered local markets to remove dog meat from their menus to avoid upsetting international visitors during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, while authorities in Guangzhou warned vendors to stop selling it ahead of last year’s Asian Games.

Businesses found guilty of selling dog meat risk being fined up to RMB 500,000.

Chinese people won't mock your Chinese name if you don't ask about their English one. Deal?

4. What kind of English name is that?

Strange English monikers such as Robot, Fanny, Kinky, Green or, as overheard recently, Mullet, have been the butt of countless jokes among foreigners, but Chinese citizen don't really like the idea of being interrogated by foreigners on why they choose to give themselves a particular English name.

“Most of these names may sound quite childish as they were usually chosen without much thought while we were only in secondary school,” explains Wuhan native Li.

Outside China, first names tend to be quite common as they are often taken from the Bible or Koran, but in China, your first name -- especially in English -- is supposed to be distinctly different, say locals.

“Generally Chinese people give themselves fun English names to set themselves apart from others” adds Li. “There really isn't anything impressive about why we chose those names, so stop asking.”

Fastest way for everyone to lose face? Ask about Chinese bathrooms.

5. Why are your toilets so dirty?

And finally, although the country is known for its less than sanitary public restrooms, toilet talk is a topic best avoided among Chinese friends.

Despite a massive operation started in 2004 to upgrade the more than 5,000 public toilets in Shanghai and educate its users in preparation for the World Expo in 2010, China’s toilets remain plagued with a poor reputation.

More on CNNGo: 5 best Shanghai bathrooms

“I was once asked by a friend why the public toilets in China are quite dirty and some doors are even destroyed, I felt really humiliated,” says university student Joyce Lin, 20.

“Though we know they exist, most Chinese will be uncomfortable handling questions about the problems that our country faces.”