‘Mobile men with money’: the socio‐cultural and politico‐economic context of ‘high‐risk’ behaviour among wealthy businessmen and government officials in urban China

Abstract

China’s transition from an injection drug-driven HIV epidemic to one primarily transmitted through sexual contact has triggered concern over the potential for HIV to move into the non-drug-injecting population. Much discussion has focused on the migrant men of China’s vast ‘floating population’ who are considered a high-risk group. As a result, many men who frequently engage in high-risk behaviour but are not included in this especially vulnerable group are evading HIV prevention messages. This paper highlights the socio-cultural and politico-economic factors that motivate many of China’s wealthy businessmen and government officials, sometimes referred to as ‘mobile men with money’, to engage in such behaviour. Examination of the activities related to the work of these men reveals a situation where the confluence of a market-oriented economy operating within a socialist-style political system under the influence of traditional networking practices has engendered a unique mode of patron-clientelism that brings them together over shared social rituals including feasting, drinking and female-centered entertainment that is often coupled with sexual services. As a result, consideration of the socio-cultural factors influencing these men’s sexual practices is important for responding to the newly emerging stage of China’s HIV epidemic.

Sexual Infidelity in China: Prevalence and Gender-Specific Correlates

“…The origin of this indoor/outdoor disjunction begs explanation, though we can note that through the 2000s the majority of sex work in Chinese cities was''indoors'' (Huang et al, 2004). The tendency for men in China to seek a greater variety of partnersirrespective ofsexualsatisfactionathomewillbeseized on by different schools of thoughts-some emphasizing evolutionary origins (Barash & Lipton, 2001;Del Giudice, 2009;Schmidt, 2003;Symons, 1979) and others noting older cultural traditions of male bonding through commercial sex in several parts of East and Southeast Asia (Allison, 1994;FHI, 2006;Phinney, 2008;Uretsky, 2008;Zhang, 2001;Zheng, 2006Zheng, , 2009.…”

“…Moreover, illegal female commercial sex provided an easy path to infidelity (Hong & Li, 2008;Huang, Henderson, Pan, & Cohen, 2004;Jeffreys, 2004Jeffreys, , 2006Pan,1999Pan, , 2000Tucker et al, 2010). The extent to which the rise in commercial sex and extramarital sex could be attributed to rich businessmen who travel or to migrants absent family and community controls remained a matter of debate (Chang, 2008;Chen et al, 2009;Gaetano, 2008;Uretsky, 2008;Yang, Latkin, Luan, & Nelson, 2010;Zhang, 2001;Zheng, 2006Zheng, , 2009.…”

The risk of success: cultural determinants of chronic disease and sexually transmitted infections among urban Chinese men

“…This is acceptable in a system where an institutional framework associated with a person's role rather than specific activities serves to define work (Uretsky, 2008). Prevention efforts to reduce these behaviors should thus consider their 'occupational' roles (Popp, 2001) as well as their health effects.…”

“…These gender and occupationally biased statistics are not surprising given the necessity for businessmen and government officials to engage in traditional practices of smoking, eating, drinking and casual sex to achieve political and economic success in China (Uretsky, 2008). While many studies recognize that behaviors associated with risk for chronic disease and STIs are deeply entrenched in distinctive Chinese characteristics associated with male practices (Liu et al, 1998;Cochrane et al, 2003;He et al, 2005;Bazzano et al, 2007;Chen et al, 2007;Yang et al, 2008;Zhang et al, 2008), there has been no research to date that links these risky behaviors to their cultural significance.…”

Height, Weight and Well-Being for Rural, Urban and Migrant Workers in China

“…Since the Song dynasty (960-1279), men have relied on this cultural scenario to develop networks and advance their interests. The alcohol consumed at dinners and banquets in contemporary China has maintained its historical role in establishing the bonds of trust that allow Chinese men to negotiate and cooperate with one another (e.g., see Uretsky 2008). Gaining weight is likely a simple reflection of attending many yingchou sessions and weight is therefore likely to be positively correlated with a man's social standing in urban China.…”