The Chinese love food, their chefs are highly respected and cooking is considered an art.  Confucius encouraged the use of chopsticks instead of potentially lethal implements such as knives, which had a major influence on the development of Chinese cuisine.  Food is cut to a manageable size or cooked to a texture that enables it to be easily taken apart.
The cuisine is varied and sophisticated. Every region has its own wonderful delicacies.  Boiling and steaming are the most common cooking methods, ahead of the stir-fries over high heat which are so well-known in the west.  Everything that can be used is used – the Chinese despise waste, and their approach takes in everything from learning about wild plants to using every part of the animal, including animals which are not always eaten in the west.  They pickle and preserve in times of plenty, and willingly adopt fruits, grains and vegetables introduced by foreigners – such as corn, chillies, potatoes, tomatoes and eggplant, none of which are indigenous, but all of which grow well, even in agriculturally poor areas.  There is a saying about the Cantonese that ‘if it has legs but is not a table, and has wings but is not a plane, then it counts as food’.  They adore experimenting with different ingredients, and the variety of the cuisine is extraordinary.
In fact, Chinese food is fantastic, it’s one of the great cuisines of the world, and China can be a paradise for gourmets.  Food plays a central part in Chinese culture, and freshness is also extremely important.  A good Chinese meal aims to provide a balance, or harmony between a variety of tastes and textures for an enjoyable experience.  People will usually eat from a range of small dishes rather than one or two large ones.   So the right choice of dishes is important too.
Western food is readily available in major cities, through chains such as Kentucky Fried Chicken, MacDonalds and Starbucks, and some supermarkets. Many hotels provide western as well as Asian breakfast and other menus. Restaurants in major cities may provide English translations of their menus, and some western dishes. 
However, it would be a shame to come to China and miss out on the wonderful food that is available here.  Yes, it may sometimes be strange or look a little odd at times, but try it!  It’s gorgeous – from the expensive upmarket restaurants to street stalls and fast food outlets, you’re in for some delicious surprises.  Restaurants often have pictures of the different dishes, or you can look at what others are eating, and request the same. Another way to sample Chinese food is through the big food plazas, often attached to large department stores, where you can find giant smorgasbords offering a huge variety of dishes – these are great fun, and you can see exactly what you will be getting.   
Of course, it’s still possible to end up in a bad restaurant, or you can choose a dish which you find you simply don’t like, either because of the taste or the way it’s been prepared.  But it’s well worth the effort to experiment a little, and like the Chinese, open yourself to a variety of new dishes – they won’t be the same as the Chinese restaurant in your home city, but there’s something for all tastes.