A Study on the Interaction Between Civil Business Groups and the State From the Perspective of Public Sphere Theory

Abstract

This chapter attempts to use public sphere theory as a starting point to compare the behavior of the British government in protecting the interests of British business in China in the 19th century with the Chinese government's neglect of the interests of Chinese business in the Philippines. This chapter uses the Shanghai Branch of the China Association and Philippine Chinese Charitable Association Inc. as representatives of private business groups in the UK and China. For the UK, due to the public sphere of competition with the central government within the UK, private business groups must consult with relevant private business groups when implementing any economic foreign policy. This process promotes consensus between the British government and society and promotes the British government's determination to maintain British business in China. However, for China, due to the absence of a public sphere where the central government interacts with society, even though Chinese private business groups have huge interests overseas, the state and society have always been unable to form a positive interaction. At the same time, this situation also results in Chinese businesses in the Philippines having to rely on their abilities to maintain their local interests.