I mean it literally just means 'relationship.' It's just that networking is even more important in China where there are so many people competing for resources,

I mean it literally just means 'relationship.' It's just that networking is even more important in China where there are so many people competing for resources, where the bureaucracy and the systems are more corrupt, and where the culture values things like familial bonds and reciprocity more. It's part of survival there. It's a concept everywhere, it's just that it's not nearly as necessary in much of the West. You can get by just fine. The distinction, imo, is that the "old boys network" is networking strictly among the rich and powerful.