Of all the changes that have taken place in recent decades, the most far-reaching is globalization. People from different cultures are coming into contact and interacting with one another more and more frequently. So cultural encounters are inevitable, but that does not have to mean cultural clashes. Based on deep mutual understanding, cross-cultural communication will contribute to cultural integration.

As China is swept up in this wave of globalization, one frustration that foreigners working in here or cooperating with Chinese companies have to face is knowing how to handle the matter of guanxi. It is a key word in the daily lives of Chinese people. But guanxi is different from what in the Western world might be termed "relationships", the word that is most often used to translate the Chinese term. More precisely, guanxi could be translated as a Chinese relationship or a relationship with Chinese characteristics.

Western society emphasizes the concept of individualism, while Chinese society has from time immemorial attached great importance to collectivism. The word guanxi is closely linked with Chinese culture and tradition. Western scholars are apt to define guanxi as "a special relationship", "a tie with its own particularities", "connection", "exchange" and "social capital", etc. In fact, guanxi refers to personal affection that needs establishing, building and maintaining. As a result, people can make use of an interpersonal resource in pursuing their economic and political interests. Thus, guanxi is a dynamic and active process, rather than a static and inherent state.

The connotations of guanxi can also be looked at through etymology and semantics. How did Chinese ancestors define a man? Confucius said "virtuousness" denoted the basic nature of a man. (子曰：仁者，人也。) In Chinese the character that stands for virtuousness is made up of亻and二 , conveying the meaning of the coexistence of "two men" and the state in which a man is in relationship with another. Confucius held that this state is the basic nature of a man, which means humans are social animals who must be in personal relationships. No one can live without guanxi or relationship. But guanxi in China is more important than a relationship in the Western world, because without guanxi a man does not even exist.

In The Analects of Confucius there is another saying: "If you do not have the right designation, you will not be in a position to relate to others and hence not accomplish anything." (名不正则言不顺，言不顺则事不成。) This saying also applies to communications in modern times. As we all know, communication is a transactional process between the communicator and the receiver. And the information carrier between these two communications subjects is no other than a relationship or guanxi. Guanxi is what Confucius called designation. Only through the channels of guanxi or a strong relationship can the information be disseminated and its meaning shared. Thus people can communicate with one another and finally achieve their goal. That is to say, if you do have the right designation, you will have justification and the channel to convey your information, thus accomplishing your goal.

Chinese people live in a social tradition in which interpersonal affection (qing, 情) comes first, rational commitment (li,理 ) second, and legal obligation (fa, 法) last. The order of importance of these three factors is the reverse of what applies in the Western world. As mentioned previously, interpersonal affection (qing,情 ), in a sense, is equivalent to the word guanxi. On the other hand, the way of mutual dealings in Western society based on legal obligation (fa,法 ) can be called "relationship". There are outstanding features in modern western culture: one is the rule of law and the other one is rationalism. In contrast, classical Chinese culture is characterized by the rule of virtues and personal attachment. The difference comes down to China still being more an "acquaintances' society" based on blood relationships and geographical ties, whereas most Western countries are "strangers' society" based on laws and contracts. Under the influence of such social values, interpersonal affection has become a rule of dealing with interpersonal relations in our daily lives and mutual communication.

Today most changes and trends join up and become a part of the whole world. The growth of the dynamic market economy, real-time communication, and increasing mobility of people has brought about a collision in values, which has a big impact on life and culture. Living in an era of globalization, conflict between different cultures and people has become inevitable, and what is needed for better communication is mutual understanding.

From the Industrial Revolution in the 18th and 19th centuries came urbanization, which strengthened the bonds of all countries and their peoples. In the 20th century, driven by economic globalization, the world became more connected and science and technology developed apace. In the 21st century the global information revolution has brought people and cultures closer together than ever before. Now China faces the task of industrialization and informatization simultaneously, while advanced Western countries go through information globalization.

A variety of culture shocks is happening, and they will promote the new development of traditional culture in the globalization era. Guanxi is now approaching the original meaning of the English "relationship". It may provide easy access for communication, but it is by no means a guarantee of dealing with problems in a China that is becoming a strangers' society.

But can problems in a society of strangers be solved by laws or contracts alone? Such a society, with all of its high-tech ways, is one of little contact. We may find we are inundated by information every which way and this, but receive few effective messages. We may have lost our life in living, lost wisdom in knowledge, and lost knowledge in information.

In the age of the information explosion, communication is like the flow of water; a pipeline is to water what relationships are to information. The messages cannot be conveyed without channels built by relationships. Which means that relationships is the foundation of effective communication.

Even if Chinese society is in a period of transformation, we cannot totally get rid of the influence of old traditional concepts. We should learn from tradition to reduce frustration and disappointment when facing cultural encounters. In regard to social management, how to combine interpersonal affection with legal obligation to meet the needs of today's social development is worthy of our profound thinking.

The author is professor, vice-president of the University of International Relations and deputy secretary-general of the China International PR Association. The views expressed in the article do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily. 

(China Daily 02/03/2012 page6)