Is ‘guanxi’ about to disappear from Chinese culture?

For as far as I can remember, ever since I heard about China, I considered it as something different, a world in itself! I cannot say I considered it ‘unique’ because it took a while before I familiarized myself with the word. Nevertheless, a divine inspiration or not, having a chance to visit China so many times, including while I am writing these words, a fast conclusion is that China as country with its culture and tradition are as unique as it gets comparing to any other country and especially comparing to European ones. It is so unique that for certain activities, feelings, and relationships with people have specific expression which rather than be translated in fact should be understood and applied in day-to-day activities. One of those specific expression is ‘guanxi’ which is meaningless to try and translate directly, to my knowledge, in any other language. It is therefore a descriptive word which applies, in this case, to an activity or relationship building by individuals that society understands and more importantly grew to accept through generations.

However, in China nothing is as obvious as it seems from a non-Chinese perspective. Understanding ‘guanxi’ from a European perspective while using standard translation and description from the like of www.dictionary.com automatically directs our conclusion towards something sinister and conniving practices of brotherhoods and closed societies. It also brings into argument the idea that relationship between people are developed at a cost of state and public property for their own narrow interest. Is it then ‘guanxi’ only used to exploit the usage of public property in any form? Short answer is that it is not! Let us keep it in mind that China in current political system is relatively new entity. China as an organised sovereign authority is several millennia’s old; sometimes in a form of unified empire in some other cases as several kingdoms, and even when conquered by Mongols it retained its own public governance system. It is for this and other reasons mentioned above that using European concept of ‘what belong to all belongs to no one!’ in order to understand how Chinese traditionally build and nurture relations is incorrect. ‘Guanxi’ as a social concept existed long before current political structure during times when everything belonged to one man, be it emperor, king, local warlord or any one with capacity to exert power. In simple terms and contrary to European idea of public property, in China historically there was nothing that belonged to all and to no one!

Throughout history China was a country with a large population. A place where individuals had to fight hard for resources and opportunities. To use some comparative figures, during the warring states period and just before establishment of the first emperor in one case alone 400 thousand enemy soldiers were buried alive. During Tang dynasty in the ninth century it is estimated that the population had grown to 80 million with its capital Chang’an alone exceeding one million inhabitants. Ordinary people, therefore, identified the need for something like ‘guanxi’ to nourish relations with the hope that they will be helpful in some way sometime in the future. At such time and for several centuries before there was no such development of public property and attempts to challenge authority were severely punished. Empire or kingdom and their rulers were ultimate authority. This understanding is still very much present including among students at lectures where lecturers represent authority. Challenging authority will ultimately draw severe punishments. My personal explanation of the concept is subtler and stripped of irregularities, therefore far away from anything that will lead to any sort of conspiracy insinuation. In my understanding ‘guanxi’ is a social concept to maintain and develop relations with people that may be helpful in the future. Usually done through gifts, favors or just courtesy.

Circumstances in which ordinary Chinese people live in have dramatically changed in the last 30 years. This is especially noticed amongst younger generations. Today’s young Chinese men and women are brought up with numerous options within China and for many of them opportunities extend further in other parts of the world too. It is common to meet with parents actively discussing possibilities for educating their children in schools abroad from very early age. Education, preferably abroad, is still seen as the most important factor to access opportunities later in life. This extends to entrepreneurial opportunities too. Private enterprises are everywhere and of all sizes. Seemingly, a place of multitude of opportunities for those with the right education and hardworking ethics. Examples are to be seen and felt everywhere; in the streets of central Shanghai with an already large international community from all over the world, all the way to large corporations of the likes of Huawei, Haier and Alibaba. There is a feeling that China is becoming a home to the most successful story of capitalism, all the while under a communist regime, a Chinese dream of commercial success for those brave enough to embark on an adventure. It seems to me that there is no fear anymore to challenge the strong and powerful of business world. Being able to challenge seems a ticket to a prosperous future.

Meanwhile, ‘guanxi’ continues unhindered and uninterested of the changes that we are all witnessing, social and political. How is it then possible that ordinary people in their ordinary day-to-day lives pay so much attention to this this special type of relationship building? Despite all successful reforms that China has undertaken since that famous speech by Deng Xiaoping 40 years ago, China stubbornly remains a very competitive environment. While it successfully applies numerous reforms, which are resulting into a better well-being for its citizens, it is also attracting many fortune hunters from other countries too. This is not to be surprised as it happened and continues to happen in other successful economies across the world. It is also a typical Confucian theory that recognizes the right governance with the number of others wanting to be governed; the better the governance the more people will want to be governed by it. All this for millions of ordinary Chinese means even more competitive environment for resources and opportunities. The outlook is that this continuing success of economical expansion will increase further the influx of newcomers wanting to have a share of it. This will be in addition to the expectation of baby boom in the years to come as result of ‘One Child Policy’ cancellation two years ago.

From my experience with ordinary Chinese from various backgrounds I would mention two reasons why ‘guanxi’ is still very much in use today and will remain so in the future. First is the effect of ‘One Child Policy’. While taking into consideration circumstances when this policy came into being, which despite its potential cruelness it also has its merits, consequences are being felt now. One of those is the obsession that parents and grandparents have with their offspring. When to this are added opportunities that they can offer to young people today which were denied to them in their time, as it usually happens, they overdo it with the desire to make them successful almost at any cost. Pressure that young Chinese are being exposed to is immense. Second would be the its size. With the expansion of the world population and improved standards of living, inevitably the competition for resources will increase. Despite its increase in wealth, standards of living, and law and order, China remains extremely competitive society. Predictions are that there is enough potential to support current growth levels for another 20 years. However, there are also predictions that support massive population growth for next for the next 20 years and beyond. China does not allow for failures, it can be unforgiving. It is expected that parents and grandparents will continue to build and maintain relations with those that may be helpful in the future for the good of their offspring. They will do it with gifts, favors, or at least pay a visit.