China: ‘Guanxi’ creates social network obstacle

Though acknowledging the primacy of guanxi, Serfaty said that services like Tianji could play a complementary role.

“The boundary between private and professional life in China is not always very clear,” he said. “You go to karaoke and get drunk with your clients.”

“Guanxi is a strong link,” he added. “But we say, thanks to the Internet, you can maintain your strong connections and develop your weak ones.”