guanxi en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈɡwanʃi/
- /ˈkwanʃi/
- gwän′shē′
Etymology
Borrowed from the Hanyu Pinyin romanization of Mandarin 關係 /关系 (guānxì, “relation, connection”).
Meanings
-
(China, uncountable) Connections; relationships; one's social or business network.
To open a new business in China you need guanxi.
What makes it worse is that I actually would have enjoyed the experience of picking fruit in China’s countryside. My inattention to my guanxi in that single moment will take years to repair.
2013 November 13, Deb Weidenhamer, “How I Made My Biggest Mistake in China (So Far)”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 05 Jul 2026:It should be noted that the existence of a basis for guanxi does not imply that such an alliance will develop.
2000, Yadong Luo, Strategy, Structure, and Performance of MNCs in China:Who would dare to drive around in a [right-hand drive] car that was so obviously stolen and smuggled into the country? The police, of course! And Communisty Party officials. And those with guanxi with the police.
1996, James O'Reilly, Sean O'Reilly, Larry Habegger, editors, Travellers' Tales - Hong Kong:Many foreigners claim to have guanxi with their Chinese counterparts; few actually do.
2005, China-Britain Business Council:By chance he'd happened to be in Hong Kong when Clayton had died, and his guanxi had smoothed out the paperwork that could have delayed things for weeks.
1998, Stuart Cohen, Invisible World:The peculiarly Chinese concept of guansi (guanxi) also pervades interpersonal relationships. In mainland China, a stifling bureaucracy can make it impossible to get anything done, so individuals need to form relationships with the people who can get wheels turning. However, the person who turns the wheels for you will, at some point, want to have the favor returned. To accumulate guansi you need to do things for people: Give them gifts, take them to dinner, lend them your car, and so on. Once you have built up guansi, an unspoken understanding develops that favors will be returned repeatedly in an ongoing relationship. Visitors to Taiwan will rarely become involved in guansi, unless there often on business.
2007, Phil Macdonald, “History & Culture”, in National Geographic Traveler: Taiwan, 2nd edition, National Geographic Society, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 21, column 2:
Relateds
Synonyms
Translations (13)
fi verkosto (connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)) · ru гуа́ньси (connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)) · ko 관계 (connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)) · ru блат (connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)) · fi suhteet (connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)) · ja コネクション (connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)) · ja コネ (connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)) · ru свя́зи (connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)) · es cuña (connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)) · fi guanxi (connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)) · ja 関係 (connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)) · cmn 關係 /关系 (connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)) · ko 커넥션 (connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China))