It is the same in every country: people are people everywhere. Some friendly, others not. It depends on your attitude. I am friendly to everyone i meet. If they chose to be hostile, it is their problem, not mine.

Watch out for head hunter tribes in rural areas. In the city, they want your organs.

Although at some level I agree with Sorrel, that some people are nice, others are not. Then in China, you will never leave your home without being reminded that you are a foreigner. The staring is really offensive, and if you see grown ups with children they might throw in a bit of pointing and add "that is a foreigner"

And please remember that if your question on a site like this is read more than 5000 times, you can go to prison for having posted it. 

I am a great believer that simple rural folk are more welcoming in general, that is not to say that there are not very nice people in the cities as well. I have met more polite people than ass holes in China and most other places I've been but even with us foreigners it only takes a couple to tarnish all of us
Thank god we have some normal intelligent questions at long last
Thank you and welcome

  I've been here eight years and never come across unprovoked hostility. Behind those smiles is generally a genuine warmth, albeit a slightly patronizing warmth such as one might reserve for an albino child with downes syndrome, but a warmth nontheless.

Yes, China is a friendly country if you are a foreigner who has lots of money, and who will go out of his or her way to accept being cheated.

Maybe, some people on some places. 

Here in Shanghai, where I live, the people who work hard they life, they are more friendly. Some are douche bags too. Anyway, those villagers, happen to get their house demolished and received 2-3 houses for free, these are really not much friendly. Some of them  I meet every day, and they not always reply for simple Ni Hao from me. It makes me wonder. We are in same building ...    

 When I go out for water or shopping or to work or back home, The stairs are always full of residents. 5-10 old people chatting there. Some are really old and we exchange smiles and pass by. some we know a bit better about each other. And some, are those staring at me and my son, heee laowai voices ....  

  We have been taught, that always younger person greet the older first. so I do not greet the young 25 or something people there. yet they always watch me and wait me greet them first, because I am the guest here, like their unwanted guest in their home. it is not very welcoming, friendly feel here. 

 On the country side, it is better a bit. But I still get along this "laowai" Everyone have to come to see, ask miliontimes same questions around and expecting I drop some banknotes on floor. 

  MAYBE i AM TOO TIRED, MAYBE I NEED MY CHURCH, WHERE i HEAL MY MIND ... 

Have you ever been asked "Why did you come to MY CHINA" before? If you have...then your question is halfway answered.

What other country do you know in which so many people say "hello" to you as you walk past, walked past and about to walk past? In what other country will you find people shouting out "hello" to you from passing cars, passing bicycles and passing hand carts?

Is China a friendly country? This, my friend, has to be the friendliest country in the whole world!!!

Some of the friendliest, most generous people I've ever met have been in China. It's usually when I leave the big city and travel that I realise how kind and warm-hearted the people are here. I've been invited to strangers' homes for dinner, have had a shopkeeper run after me to give an umbrella so I don't get wet, had a girl pass me a note in English on the bus to warn me that the guy sitting beside me can't be trusted etc. Even my in-laws overwhelm me. When my parents visited they bent over backwards to ensure they were looked after. I've never seen hospitality like that on the same scale in the west.