The Impacts of Guanxi: Drug Policing Under Police Professionalisation in China

Abstract

Guanxi is a ubiquitous, intricate, and enduring characteristic of Chinese society and permeates virtually every aspect of Chinese life. Drug policing is no exception. This study attempts to clarify the concept of guanxi and illustrate how guanxi affects police professionalisation in China through observing drug policing conducted by two Anti-Drug Squads and one Anti-Drug Corps in Jixiang City in China and interviewing 25 anti-drug police officers. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse the data. This article defines guanxi as a long-term, interpersonal, and transmittable relationship that is connected by ganqing (affective bonds) and renqing (instrumental bonds). It involves mianzi (face and reputation) maintenance and social reciprocity. It highlights the importance of the Guanxi Base, which has often been omitted in previous literature. It argues that guanxi may result in unfair police management and give rise to renqing cases that undermine police professionalisation and the rule of law. Furthermore, it is argued that police professionalisation may bring about some resistance to political interference, particularly when it violates the law. However, guanxi operates smoothly within legal boundaries during drug policing.