A small gift can be simply heart warming.

You are taking things too extreme. 

It is part of American culture to give gifts, it is not a Chinese tradition.  However, Amricans give  inexpansive gifts, which some Chinese may think being too cheap, but the purpose of the gift is not the material value, it is to show gratitude.

By the way, my son's classmates are white Americans.  I don't think them giving gifts has anything to do with corruption in China.  My son learned to give gifts from his classmates.  I didn't teach him.

You can of course do things your way.  I don't think it will necessarily hurt you, as long as you do show your gratitude somehow to people who help you.