China’s rise, Guanxi, and primary institutions

Abstract

This article focuses on how China views the normative structure of the international order. It integrates the Chinese cultural idea of guanxi into the established English School tradition in International Relations theory and argues that the norm of guanxi is an emerging pluralist primary institution. In this article, the author first presents the emergence of guanxi as a purposive norm in China’s foreign policy, and the interplay of this norm between China and other international actors. Second, the article scrutinizes the establishment of secondary institutions reflecting the norm of guanxi. Third, this article discusses how this primary institution has been consolidated at regional and global levels. In conclusion, this article briefly draws on two major developments of international politics: the cultural diversity of the international order and the emergence of a China-centred international society.