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Guanxi is a broad term and can mean anything from networking (the business kind) to asking about job referrals from friends, you can google the investopedia def

Guanxi is a broad term and can mean anything from networking (the business kind) to asking about job referrals from friends, you can google the investopedia definition to get a better idea. It can be seen negatively or positively based on the context as in like "he got his job through guanxi" aka he either networked hard (positive) or there was some kind of nespotism involved (negative).

citrablue 8y ago
That seems pretty close to how westerners use the term, unless I am missing something? Context matters, I think is what we can all agree on. Unfortunately, in order to agree on the appropriate context, we have to see each other as peers and working for the same goal. (I think this is what's fucked with the current American political system -- it's less "you have your facts, I have mine" and more "you think this context/lens is what matters, I disagree and choose these base assumptions." Naive realism wrote bigly.
- forkLding 8y ago
  Yep, guanxi is roughly the Chinese word for "connections" or "through the network". I think its perceived more negatively nowadays by the Chinese with 'newish' (more 1990-2000s) terminologies such as the "关系户" (guanxi-hu) which is roughly translated into English as person with a lot of connections and/or is politically savvy and can gain a large advantage in society or conducting business through their network. Note that Chinese govt. (especially the lower rungs) tend to be corrupt/non-transparent and society is more about giving gifts (originally between friends and families, basically bribery if asking for a favour) so this tends to give a much more unfair advantage than Western society (the politically transparent ones). Chinese people (usually media) either think negatively of these kind of people as they see them having an unfair advantage while some respect and aspire to be guanxi-hu because of how well-connected they are.

citrablue 8y ago

That seems pretty close to how westerners use the term, unless I am missing something? Context matters, I think is what we can all agree on. Unfortunately, in order to agree on the appropriate context, we have to see each other as peers and working for the same goal. (I think this is what's fucked with the current American political system -- it's less "you have your facts, I have mine" and more "you think this context/lens is what matters, I disagree and choose these base assumptions." Naive realism wrote bigly.

forkLding 8y ago
Yep, guanxi is roughly the Chinese word for "connections" or "through the network". I think its perceived more negatively nowadays by the Chinese with 'newish' (more 1990-2000s) terminologies such as the "关系户" (guanxi-hu) which is roughly translated into English as person with a lot of connections and/or is politically savvy and can gain a large advantage in society or conducting business through their network. Note that Chinese govt. (especially the lower rungs) tend to be corrupt/non-transparent and society is more about giving gifts (originally between friends and families, basically bribery if asking for a favour) so this tends to give a much more unfair advantage than Western society (the politically transparent ones). Chinese people (usually media) either think negatively of these kind of people as they see them having an unfair advantage while some respect and aspire to be guanxi-hu because of how well-connected they are.