Fear - Is what keeps this outdated system in place. A great example is drinking at diner with collegues. My students tell me they can NOT say NO and they must take part in the drinking if they want to keep their job. I have a background in counseling people with addictions so I ask 1 simple question of them.

Has anyone said NO and gotten fired? The reality is no one has ever tried and they ignorantly keep feeding the beast because of fear.

Over 5 years ago there was a change in laws and employers must now give their workers a work contract. I typed up a standard contract and had my students translate it to chinese. I sent them out to find jobs and I told them to take their new Chinese contract with them. One student did just that. She asked for a contract at her new job and they gave her some crap they called a contract which was really a document of slavery and serfdom. I told her to ask them to sign her contract which included all the necessary parts (Working Hours, Duties, Overtime, Holidays, Pay). They signed and she never worked over time like all the other fools did. On a few occassions she did work overtime and she was paid according to her contract. She received the same salary as others without wasting her weekends and evenings. In truth, her salary was higher when she did work over time. She also did not participate in the usual extra activities like climbing XiShan when she did not want to.

Ignorance is the cause of the fear and fear is what keeps this old lie in place. Of course a person with low self esteem will not ask an employer to sign her contract. Neither will a person with no education or with no experience but this is all part of education and it does work.

The problem or the question is - How do we keep good relationships without keeping guanxi? The answer is one has nothing to do with the other. There are NO good features to guanxi. We should treat others as we want to be treated - with respect and there is no need for guanxi, favors and hookups.

Like I always say, when receiving advice, consider the source.

- I'll admit. I use Guanxi and if the person I expected that Guanxi from didn't provide it, I would be the first up in arms.

I am not making any judgements but it is always better to know something about an individual on a personal level before accepting any advice or feedback or comments on any topic.

Now we can clearly see that we both are in 2 very distinct extremes when it comes to this topic. I have never and will never accept any gifts from any person. I learned this lesson as soon as I arrived in China and I chose what side I wanted to be on. I can easily say NO to any person and have never felt obligated to do anything for another person. I do not ask others for favors or hookups when it comes to business or paperwork. Yes, I have asked people for a favor like helping me move or drive me to the airport.

It is a vicious cycle that is continually fed by the people who take part in it. I do NOT feed the beast - that is my choice.

The OP is asking about Guanxi on a business level but my replies have been to both business as well as personal because the group think can not change without individual thinking changing first.

I have no idea what a footy is - must be a term from Zimbabwe.

The other 2 examples you gave are called FAVORS and people have the right to say Yes or No. Favors are just that - favors - they are not mandatory and one is not under any obligation to perform or allow those tasks to be performed. You can get a favor from someone you know but you can not from a stranger. Mobility creates strangers.

The last examples you gave about Britain are wonderful. Here in China and in most other countries of the world, the average Joe on the street is sick and tired of this crap. They are tired of seeing jobs go to friends and family (nepotism) and they begin to call it by its real name - bribery, graft, and corruption. Thank you President Xi.

This is why I mentioned the importance of the internet. Guanxi serves a select few and the majority are tired of this crap and want this outdated system thrown away. They want fairness and equality and guanxi serves neither of these 2 values that the majority think is important.

This is a great topic to address with 12345 - the Mayors Hotline - to get a clear answer as to what is legal and illegal. If anything, complaints will at least force them to update the regulations.

I agree with punishing the manufacturer or retailer for selling illegal products in Kunming rather than punishing the consumer who does not know at the time of purchase.

Hehe - you changed your post before I could send my reply.

Thats exactly the point - they do NOT call it Contacts and Reputation because they feel it is something unique and different and a part of their own unique culture. As Tiger mentioned earlier, it comes from living/doing business in a closed society with little to no mobility.

Since joining the WTO, China has had to change many of its previous values such as shifting from Collective culture to Individual culture (1 Child Policy), Hierarchy was the value of the past and no longer holds true, especially when you have young millionaires who are running the show, Shift from High context communication because foreigners and people from outside your small group do not understand you, and finally the loss of influence from Taoism and Confucianism that I mentioned earlier.

Two other areas have seen a huge change are the notions of relationships vs laws. The west values rules while China values relationships. This went out the window when they joined WTO because the west just cares that the party fulfills the contract and they will easily drop one unrealiable client for a more reliable one. China had to chnage if they wanted to continue doing business with the west. Deadlines are becoming more and more important when dealing with international clients, not so inside China as much. The other is the notion of ascribed status and achieved status. West values what you have done and what you can do now, they could care less what your granpappy did 50 years ago or what your family name is. With mobility, this notion steers more to the western values because other people do not know you or know about you - it is about what you can do (resume/CV).