ABSTRACT
The guanxi practices that have been equated to cronyism by the Western media and business circles mostly fall in the category of ren qing guanxi or friendship of utility. Ren qing can be literally translated as human (ren) emotions (qing) – generic and basic. In the largest sense, ren qing describes the broad spectrum of human emotions involved in general social interactions. A Chinese person who is capable of understanding these sentiments in others and properly acting with these emotions is said to have ren qing. Therefore, this chapter argues that contrary to the Western depictions of ren qing guanxi as completely utilitarian, there exists a humanistic ren qing, namely, the acquaintances nearby us in physical vicinity or work association who are able to lend a timely helping hand in an emergency. But in the modern guanxi culture, the relationships built on consumerism have gone beyond simple expressions of goodwill. Ren qing guanxi has become a “social capital” itself and, as such the focus of ren qing guanxi is the resource and the other person’s ability to afford that resource for trading. Once the deal is struck, the guanxi fades away, just as in most market transactions.
