Guanxi and ethics
Many textbooks make a point of emphasizing the Chinese version of patron-client politics by describing the importance of connections (guanxi) in moving upward in one of the Chinese bureaucracies. (It should sound familiar no matter what country you're studying.)According to this article in Xinhua, the government sees guanxi as a potential source of corruption. (That, too, should sound familiar.)
If so much sounds familiar, how well can your students describe the patron-client networks in the countries they're studying?
China to curb nepotism by investigation of cadres' families
"China's Ministry of Justice is to launch an extensive investigation of the employment of government cadres' spouses and children this year in an effort to curb nepotism.
"Government officials in leading posts will be ordered to report and register jobs of their spouses and children, and any unfairly preferential job arrangements shall be corrected immediately, the ministry announced on Monday.
"The ministry will also intensify supervision so as to prevent cadres' families and relatives from being offered special favors in jobs that benefit them illegally...
"Officials are also prohibited from taking senior posts in the CCP committee, government, court and prosecuting organs of the county and prefecture in which they are born and grew up, according to the regulation.
"Checking nepotism is part of the ministry's effort to curb corruption this year, according to sources at a teleconference among justice departments.
"The ministry will also target government cadres who take advantage of their posts to buy apartments much cheaper than market prices or occupy houses and cars on 'loan'...
"The ministry would also strengthen investigations into abuse of power, especially the abuse of judicial power.
"Efforts would also be focused on cheating in tenders for government-funded projects, selling land at below market prices, investing in the development of mines, as well as concealing, privately sharing, transferring or cheaply selling state capital during the restructuring and reform of state-owned enterprises, the ministry said."
Guanxi, An Important Chinese Business Element from the Los Angeles Chinese Learning Center
Guanxi: The China Letter
posted by Ken Wedding @ 7:48 AM
2 Comments:
Minutes after posting the link to the article about nepotism and guanxi, I came across another reference to guanxi. This one from China. Well, it's from the blog of a Brit who works in China, liuzhou laowai.
Ronaldo's Sore Throat
"One of Liuzhou's most famous products, known nationally, is the throat lozenges made by the Guangxi Golden Throat Group...
"Since 2003, the lozenges have beeen heavily advertised using images of Brazilian football player, Ronaldo...
"Mr Ronaldo Luis Nazário de Lima intends suing Golden Throat for using his image without permission....
"Well, clearly I don't know, but it seems to me that Ronaldo's suit may be difficult to win... because of the way China's judiciary works.
"...in a country where the judiciary is not independent and court decisions are handed to the person with the most gaunxi or 'connections' is the fact that the company President, Ms Jiang Peizhen is also a member of the Political Consultative Conference of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, theoretically the region's highest political body, and also a delegate of the Conference of Representatives of Chinese Communists in Liuzhou City. She has won numerous awards and is seen as a symbol of how the ever-loving Party treats women equally. In other words, she has powerful friends. Judges follow what the party tells them top do."
Once again, the topic of guanxi comes to my attention today. This time in an article from Asia Times Online.
There are at least a couple theses here that your students could evaluate as an exercise that would help them understand some details of Chinese politics.
Shanghai clique takes another hit
"A key figure was missing from the two-day Central Conference on Financial Affairs that ended last Saturday. Huang Ju, who ranks sixth on the nine-member standing committee of the Politburo, is in charge of China's financial affairs.
"It was reported that Huang has handed over his power overseeing financial affairs to Prime Minister Wen Jiabao. It will be revealing if Huang, who is a key member of the Shanghai clique headed by former president Jiang Zemin, has in fact lost his power ahead of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP's)17th National Congress this autumn.
"Huang supposedly dropped his official functions due to worsening health, reported the Hong Kong Economic Times. Wen takes charge of financial affairs with the assistance of Huang Jianmin, general secretary of the State Council...
"The ailing vice premier, who reportedly suffers from pancreatic cancer, began to retire from public view a year ago...
"In the CCP, power handover is an extremely sensitive thing. There are few, if any, examples of any high-ranking leader willingly surrendering power. And poor health would be the last thing to make them do so. Even though gravely ill, they would hang on until their last breath to protect their political faction or pass on the torch to favorite successors.
"Former Chinese leaders such as Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai never gave up power, even when they were on their death beds. In the post-Mao era, many ailing Politburo members died during their terms. In the CCP's history, high-ranking officials lose power mainly because of their political 'incorrectness' instead of their health...
"Thus, there are good reasons for many analysts to believe that Huang's being politically marginalized has more to do with his political misconduct than with his health...
"Of course, if Huang still had strong backing, he would not have had to surrender. His losing his power... suggests his boss, Jiang, is no longer capable of protecting his proteges... the collapse of the Shanghai clique [paves] the way for the coming of President Hu Jintao's era after the party's 17th National Congress this autumn - Hu is also party boss."
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