The intelligence service of People’s Republic of China – an outline of structures and methods of activity

Studying Chinese intelligence service brings researchers and their readers together to identify the specific ways in which the state achieves its goals internationally. Intelligence is deeply rooted in the Chinese understanding of interstate competition, and its essential effect, ie knowledge, is a key element in rational decision-making in foreign and security policy. Intelligence is also an important tool for reducing the technological gap between the PRC and Western countries. Years of tradition, size and international status make the intelligence service of the People’s Republic of China have certain characteristics that characterize its operation. Their description may help to understand the philosophy underlying the intelligence work on Chinese characteristics, the role of these institutions in foreign policy and their methodology of action. Authors decided to focus on two aspects: the structures responsible for the interview and the specificity of the approach to collecting information. The main reason for adopting such a perspective is the desire to outline the main differences in Chinese intelligence work in relation to Western countries of cultural or even Russian. A look at the structure of the intelligence and its place in the system brings us closer to understanding what role the Chinese attribute and what they expect from the institutions called to collect information.

The specificity of guanxi – positive or negative social capital?

The text presents the problem of a Chinese-specific phenomenon known as guanxi. Their features and their connection with Confucianism were discussed. They emphasized their permanence and continuous presence in Chinese society, emphasizing their evolution after China adopted the principles of market economy. Also tried to look at guanxi in terms of social capital, showing elements connecting both phenomena. It has been noted that some researchers have a tendency to perceive guanxi in terms of negative social capital. This approach was considered as unauthorized as a result of Western ethnocentrism and pointed to the need to respect the cultural distinctiveness of the East and West. It has also been pointed out, that the interest in China and the role that guanxi play, especially in the sphere of economy, may be due to fears of Chinese domination, as well as the lack of understanding by the West that effective modernization based on other patterns is possible than those preferred in the Euro-Atlantic cultural circle.

The aim of the article is to discuss the Chinese educational culture in the context of the pursuing guanxi tradition. The article answers the question what guanxi is and how it is applied in the Chinese educational system. The subject of research is the educational system and guanxi culture and its practical implications. In the article, the existing studies are used of Chinese and other foreign authors. The qualitative research method involves analyses of secondary sources which outlined the methods and principles of operation of the old Chinese tradition of regulating social relationships in education in the network of three-sided personal relations: school-home, parent-teacher, and students-teachers.

Close relationships with all members of the market environment are now widely accepted by academics and practitioners as an excellent way of creating a sustainable, competitive advantage. However, views on exactly which activities constitute the essence of market relationships may differ significantly in various cultural contexts. The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of Chinese culture on market relationship creation, focusing on specific guanxi networks with closely related indigenous cultural aspects, such as renqing, lian, mianzi, xinren and xinyong, in order to reveal their implications for the functioning of foreign companies in China. An emic approach was predominantly implemented in this analysis, in addition to a polemic on the commonly used assessment methods of culture impact that is based on Western evaluation and bipolar culture dimensions. The information presented is based on research carried out on thirty-eight cases of Polish companies in China that used a semi-structured interview technique with individual managers directly responsible for operations in this market. It is reinforced with a broad literature overview and many years of the author’s direct observations. In addition, some practical recommendations and further research are suggested.