Military Corruption in China: The Role ofGuanxiin the Buying and Selling of Military Positions

Abstract

How does guanxi facilitate corrupt transactions? Utilizing fieldwork data and published materials, this paper investigates how guanxi practices distort the formal military promotion system and facilitate the buying and selling of military positions in the People's Liberation Army (PLA). It identifies the three key functions of guanxi in facilitating corrupt transactions: communication, exchange and neutralization. Guanxi enables effective and safe communication among corrupt military officers, holds transaction partners to their word, and neutralizes their guilt about committing corrupt acts.

The Process and Characteristics of Psychological Kidnapping: An Indigenous Model of Corruption in China

“…The norm of gift giving in a guanxi network helps bring down a major barrier to relationship establishment in corrupt cases (Li, 2011). Guanxi networks normalise corrupt transactions through the neutralisation process (Wang, 2016), where the bribees use it to justify their behaviours and lessen their responsibilities.…”

“…The renqing rule emphasises that once an individual receives a favour from others, s/he is obligated to reciprocate in the future. Refusing the kidnapper's request will result in a breakdown of mutual affection (ganqing polie, ) and the kidnapped will be despised by other guanxi members as dishonest or lacking human feelings (Wang, 2016). Therefore, the cost of saying 'no' to those who share strong ties is high.…”

The Comparative Significance ofGuanxi

“…What is insightful about the concept of event contacts is that these sentiments and obligations would be baseless without events of personal significance. Indeed, we have learned from previous studies of Chinese social networks that day-to-day interactions make daily contacts (Fu, 2005;Lin, Fu, & Chen, 2014), that periodic events of cultural and social significance generate Chinese New Year contacts and social eating contacts (Bian, 2001), and that critical events in one's early careers produce lasting influential contacts continuously contributing to one's later promotions in the Chinese military (Wang, 2016) and one's wage growth in the civilian workplace (Bian, Huang, & Zhang, 2015). Burt and Burzynska make it explicit that for Chinese entrepreneurs a business's key 'founding contact is a guanxi event' (Table 6) because 'founding contacts persist at the center of the [entrepreneurial] network' (Table 7).…”

“…Its embedded resources are specific, the generated behaviors are highly patterned, but the relational origins, bases, or forms vary randomly. These kinds of obligational ties have grown tremendously in business circles and political spheres, facilitating land allocations and real estate developments; lubricating construction projects; and contributing to illicit services and dealings, official corruption, and money-for-power-influence exchanges (Barbalet, 2017; Wank, 1999; Wang, 2016). These are the ugly face of guanxi and the dark side of guanxi capital.…”

Elite Power Competition and Corruption Investigation in China: A Case Study

“… 5. People sharing hometown ties have much in common, which can reduce their psychological detachment and ensure trust (Wang, 2016). …”