By Valerie Sartor

Guanxi vocabulary contains both semantic meaning and moral connotations.

For example, a guanxiwang is a person’s guanxi network; it can be large or small, among friends in various social classes and jobs, and it can exist simultaneously in different places around China. Because guanxi implies both getting and giving, two semantically opposed characters define the transaction. Guanxihu - literally, a guanxi household - are people to whom one owes favors and is obligated to. A shouren - literally, a familiar person - is someone who can be approached for a favor.

La guanxi literally means to pull one’s guanxi. This popular phrase connotes the active manipulation of social relationships in order to achieve an end result, or favor. The English term “to pull strings” is not sophisticated enough to describe this process.

Another similar term Chinese people use is zou houmen; literally, to go through the back door. This phrase implies irregular dealings, or channels, and does not connote the artistic elegance implied by the term guanxi. Moreover, for someone to go through the back door first requires the talent of pulling social relationships in order to reach that access channel.

Chinese people often call those who are very sly and cunning you - literally, oily. These people are able to persuade others to do their bidding. They are good negotiators, usually with wide social networks.

These types of people also possess shili yan - literally, an eye for power. This means that they discriminate regarding who they cultivate as friends, always weighing possible guanxi opportunities. Such types know when to be tactful and when to flatter; when to be humble and when to manipulate others. Today some Chinese also call such persons hua - literally, slippery, while older Chinese will label them lao youtiao - literally, old, oily dough strip – which incidentally, serves as a common breakfast food in the north.

Flattering a person of higher rank is termed pai ma pi - literally, petting the horse’s ass. People who are not susceptible to flattery and those who do not act oily are called laoshi. This word generally translates as upright and honest, but it can also be slightly pejorative, and imply ingenuous, or even simple-minded and obedient.

Another very important phrase, mentioned earlier, is renqing - literally, human feeling. This word is very old, dating back to the venerable Book of Rites (Li Ji) compiled by Confucius during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE). Renqing is the affection, love and concern found in close human relationships: father to son; family to kin; deep friendships.

According to Chinese philosophy, renqing is the driving source for ritual (li) which defines the proper conduct in all social relationships, and serves as the basis for society itself. The Tang poet Du Fu said: “Presenting fine rice cakes to create renqing.” Thus, since ancient times, the idea of giving gifts and salutations as a basis of creating good relationships has existed in China. Because of this some Chinese scholars argue that guanxi is an adaptation of renqing.

Nowadays, in China renqing has taken on another connotation that is connected to guanxi. Whereas guanxi can sometimes be defined as a selfish, manipulative action, renqing is placed on a higher ethical level. For example, renqing distinguishes humans from beasts. It implies that people have natural affections, feelings and obligations to each other as a species. Renqing also defines correct human conduct, in the sense of Chinese etiquette.

Third, renqing is a kind of mutual bond between two people that is based upon emotional attachment, shared experiences, and mutual aid. Chinese citizens feel that without this capacity people would be cold and cruel to each other. In short, renqing upholds Confucian ideals by cementing interpersonal relationships among the Chinese people. Such intricate and involved relationships contrast with the superficial relationships often found among Western people.

Another notion that combines Confucian thought and guanxi is the li wu - literally, ritual object – which translates as gift. In China, gifts must be reciprocated, to build and strengthen relationships. The Chinese ethos of gift giving has thus been extended to all human relationships. Specific rules of etiquette exist regarding status, distance, age, gender and degrees of intimacy.

In this way the art of guanxi, with its gifts and favors, traces back, like renqing, to Confucian tradition. This philosophy personalizes ethics by connecting all kinds of people to each other through ritual and etiquette. Notably, Confucian philosophy does not favor the Western ideal of universal love for all.

Instead, Chinese cultural norms are based upon obligations that are measured by kinship and degrees of familiarity and intimacy between people. The Confucian virtues of kinship and friendship are important roots of guanxi, past and present.

Mainland China recognizes guanxi discourse as evolving from renqing discourse, even though some modern Chinese perceive guanxi as a corrupt form of renqing. However it is interpreted, the art of guanxi is complex: It contains cultural actions based in antiquity, and instrumental motives that are also tied with ancient ethical principles.

In contrast to ancient imperial China, most contemporary Chinese officials view renqing negatively, as they do guanxi. The state, collective ethos conflicts with private, personal ethics. In official discourse all private sentiments should be denied by steeling one’s heart in order to do one’s duty.

In short, bureaucrats may become disturbed by renqing and guanxi because these two tactics, used astutely, can usurp the power of an official: Xianguan buru xian guan. This popular phrase translates as: A county official cannot compare with the person directly in charge. In China, this implies that a lower official (or even a worker in the system) may have the wherewithal to solve a dilemma or problem, especially if the boss is not around, or accessible.

Sometimes high level officials and bosses may not even have the power to get things done because they are so mired in the bureaucratic system. Thus, approaching a lower cadre, using guanxi or renqing, is often the best way to solve a problem or obtain a needed service.

    Channel: Local Wisdom     |