This chapter presents key findings on politeness strategies in five Chinese language textbooks used in Australian higher education, with a focus on the implications for Chinese as an Additional or International Language (CAL/CIL) instruction. The analysis reveals a dominant emphasis on negative politeness strategies, reflecting cultural expectations of deference and hierarchical relations in Chinese discourse. Notably underrepresented are off-record strategies, which are essential for developing subtle, context-sensitive communicative competence. This imbalance suggests a gap between structural representation and interactional complexity in textbook content. The chapter argues for a more balanced and culturally grounded approach to materials development, incorporating the affective and moral dimensions of interaction to better equip learners for real-world communication.