Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding (SACU)

Xue Xinran: 10 Years since Miss Chopsticks (part of the China in Context Festival)
2018-03-17 14:30 - 15:30 UTC | China Exchange, 32A Gerrard Street, London, W1D 6JA, United Kingdom
On Saturday 17 March leading British-Chinese writer and author of The Good Women of China, Xue Xinran薛欣然 will join China in Context. Xue Xinran was an established broadcaster in China and the country’s first agony aunt, before she turned her hand to writing. Much of her work is based on the stories of real people she met in China. Miss Chopsticks, published in 2008, follows the experiences of three young female migrant workers who moved to the city of Nanjing in search of work and opportunities. During this talk, Xinran will reflect on the changes she has seen since the publication of her seminal novel Miss Chopsticks a decade ago, and how the stories in her works translate for today’s readers. China in Context is organised by China Exchange and Cypress Books.
Please check the event website for details of ticket types, prices and booking fees.

Mandarin Taster Language Lesson: Adults (part of the China in Context Festival)
2018-03-17 14:00 - 14:45 | China Exchange, 32A Gerrard Street, London, W1D 6JA, United Kingdom
Thinking of Learning Mandarin?
Join the free introductory language workshop at China Exchange and get to know:

How the phonetic system works
The useful day-to-day phrases
The basic elements of Chinese characters
Most importantly, how to learn the language with fun and efficiency!

The event is free, please register with China Exchange to let them know that you are going.
About the teachers:

Wangzhen Ni

Wangzhen is a native Mandarin speaker. She comes from an applied linguistics background and holds a bachelor’s degree in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language. She is currently Manager of Guanghwa Bookshop, the leading Chinese bookshop in the UK.

Xianping Bai

Xianping is an experienced language teacher, book publisher, and a mother of two. She is the founder of the London Reading Club, a community highly passionate about reading and education; she is also currently the Publishing Project Manager of Cypress Books, the Chinese language specialist publisher with over 30 years of expertise in the industry.
The event is free, please register with China Exchange to let them know that you are going.
China in Context is organised by China Exchange and Cypress Books.

Winnie M Li – Translating Personal Experience Into Fiction (part of the China in Context Festival)
2018-03-17 13:30 - 14:15 | China Exchange, 32A Gerrard Street, London, W1D 6JA, United Kingdom
Join China Exchange in welcoming Winnie M Li, author, activist and film producer to China in Context. During this talk, Li will be in conversation with BBC Journalist Helier Cheung, discussing the process and challenges of translating personal experience into fiction.
Li’s debut novel Dark Chapter is a fictionalised account of her own experience as the victim of sexual assault. Through the character of Vivian, a cosmopolitan Taiwanese-American tourist, Li’s novel explores both the trauma of violent sexual assault and also looks inside the mind of the perpetrator.
A Harvard graduate, Li has programmed for film festivals, written for travel guidebooks and produced independent feature films such as Cashback (2006), The Broken (2008), and Flashbacks of a Fool (2008). Dark Chapter won The Guardian’s Not the Booker Prize, and has been shortlisted for the prestigious Edgar Award for Best First Novel, the Sl Leeds Literary Prize, and CWA Debut Dagger. It will be translated into eight languages.
The conversation will be compered by Helier Cheung, an editor and reporter for the BBC news website. Helier began her career as a civil servant and then a BBC news trainee, before working as an Asia specialist and Hong Kong correspondent for the BBC.
Join us to discover how personal experience can be translated into fiction, the work behind publishing a first novel, and Winnie’s plans for the future.
This is a free event. Please register with China Exchange to let them know you are going.
China in Context is organised by China Exchange and Cypress Books.

Family Corner With Hatching Dragons (part of the China in Context Festival)
2018-03-17 12:00 - 16:00 | China Exchange, 32A Gerrard Street, London, W1D 6JA, United Kingdom
Drop-in to the free Family Corner at China Exchange to get crafty and learn some Mandarin with Hatching Dragons – the UK’s only bilingual nursery provider. The whole family can get involved in Chinese paper cutting and folding, get inspired by books in the storytelling corner, and be wowed by the shadow puppet play. You can make your own dragon puppets and Beijing Opera masks to take home, and your littlest ones can get creative with the playdough and bouncy ring.
China in Context is organised by China Exchange and Cypress Books.

In Conversation with Su Tong 苏童 (part of the China in Context Festival)
2018-03-17 12:00 - 13:30 | China Exchange, 32A Gerrard Street, London, W1D 6JA, United Kingdom
Su Tong 苏童 is the pen name of Chinese writer Tong Zhonggui 童忠贵. Winner of the Man Asian Literary Prize and a Man Booker International Prize nominee, Su Tong is known for his controversial writing style, and has written seven full-length novels and over 200 short stories. His acclaimed book Wives and Concubines was adapted into the Academy Award-winning film Raise the Red Lantern 大红灯笼高高挂 by internationally renowned director Zhang Yimou 张艺谋.
In this talk, Su Tong will discuss his writing career and the themes behind some of his most acclaimed works. Su Tong will speak in Mandarin with an English interpreter.
China in Context is organised by China Exchange and Cypress Books.
Please check the event website for details of ticket types, prices and booking fees.

Shine from Dust: A Dialogue With Lu Nei 路内 (part of the China in Context Festival)
2018-03-16 18:00 - 19:30 | China Exchange, 32A Gerrard Street, London, W1D 6JA, United Kingdom
Visit China Exchange for a dialogue with Lu Nei, widely regarded in China as one of the leading authors of his generation. Born in the 1970s, Lu Nei’s best known novel Young Babylon 《少年巴比伦》tells the story of a young factory worker in China in 1990s, who is caught up in the drastic social changes taking place around him. Young Babylon was translated into English by Poppy Toland, and was adapted into a film in 2017.
At this event Lu Nei will be in conversation with two well-known translators who have contributed greatly to Chinese literature translation: Rachel Henson and Nicky Harman.
Rachel Henson is a translator and artist. Her recent work includes the translation of Lu Nei’s short story: Keep Running, Little Brother（阿弟，你慢慢跑）, Shanghainese playwright Nick Yu’s work on the 2008 earthquake, and the theatrical adaptation of Zhang Henshui’s White Snake.
Nicky Harman is one of the UK’s leading translators. Her most recent work is a translation of Jia Pingwa’s novel Happy Dreams《高兴》.
This is a free event. Please register with China Exchange to let them know you are going.
China in Context is organised by China Exchange and Cypress Books.

Chinese Language Teaching in the UK 汉语教学拓展日 (part of the China in Context Festival)
2018-03-16 12:30 - 17:00 | China Exchange, 32A Gerrard Street, London, W1D 6JA, United Kingdom
The annual China in Context festival brings together Chinese writers, translators and language expers from across the UK and the world to celebrate writers and writing from and about China. Our Chinese Teaching Day is the ideal opportunity to brush up on the latest thinking in Chinese language teaching.
In this free event, Chinese language teachers will hear from expert speakers on the latest thinking in teaching Chinese in the UK. There will also be the opportunity to meet authors of best-selling textbooks, who will share their views on teaching Chinese in primary schools, secondary schools and higher education.
This is a valuable opportunity for professional development and networking. Three sessions will cover: tips for GCSE exam preparation, how to foster a passion for Chinese study in students, and the top twenty essential topics for teaching Business Chinese. Participants will also receive a special discount at the China in Context Book Fair, with its unrivalled collection of Chinese learning and teaching titles.
This is a free event, please click on “register” (below) to book your seats.
Sessions:
12:30 – 2:00 pm
Happier Study, Easier Exam — A Simple Solution to GCSE Chinese (Speaker: Ranran Du) Register
2:15 – 3:30 pm
Ways to Get Your Students Interested in Learning Chinese (Speaker: Qi Chen) Register
3:45 – 4:45 pm
Business Chinese: 20 Essential Topics (Speaker: Yinghong Huang) Register

Multi-Dimensional China: Where Steel Forests Meet Red Earth (part of the China in Context Festival)
2018-03-15 19:15 - 20:30 | China Exchange, 32A Gerrard Street, London, W1D 6JA, United Kingdom
In this discussion, two renowned translators will unveil two different faces of China: urban and rural.
Whist city residents witnessed drastic urban developments and gentrification movements, with both excitement and confusion, migrant workers from rural areas carried each brick on their backs and moved forward with struggles and reflections.
How has life changed in China’s cities and countryside throughout the decades? How did China’s urban and rural stories confront, interlink and integrate? Join China Exchange to find out!
About the speakers:

Nicky Harman

Nicky is a prolific Chinese to English translator and co-chair of the Translators Association (Society of Authors). Her most recent work, the translation of Jia Pingwa’s novel Happy Dreams, depicts life in industrializing contemporary China as seen through the eyes of Happy Liu, a charming and clever rural labourer who leaves his home for the gritty harsh streets of Xi’an in search of better life.

Michelle Deeter

Michelle has been a Chinese to English translator and interpreter since 2007. Together with Nicky Harman, she translated Paper Tiger, which paints a portrait of the world’s second-largest economy via a thoughtful and wide-ranging series of mini essays on contemporary Chinese society. Her other works include Feng Tang’s Beijing, Beijing and Chen Zijin’s The Untouched Crime, which reveals the life in modern China through a variety of perspectives.
China in Context is organised by China Exchange and Cypress Books.
Please check the event website for details of ticket types, prices and booking fees.

China in Context Book Fair - at China Exchange
2018-03-15 12:00 - 2018-03-18 20:00 | China Exchange, 32A Gerrard Street, London, W1D 6JA, United Kingdom
The China in Context book fair weekend will run each day 12.00pm-20.00pm from 15-18 March – extended by an extra day due to its popularity in 2017. With a book fair of over 1000 titles curated by Cypress Books, there will be enough to keep even the most voracious book worm satisfied!
Showcasing a vast range of books about China from all genres including classical and contemporary literature, Chinese learning materials, children’s books, history and biographies, politics, society and economy, culture, philosophy and religion, medicine and health, and arts and supplies. Immerse yourself in the comfortable and welcoming atmosphere created for all book lovers.
Whether you are Chinese, a committed Sinologist or a curious passerby, come in and spend some time exploring what the book fair has to offer. Perhaps enjoy a cup of tea and let a book lead you on a China-inspired journey in the cosy reading area, or join one of the many activities happening in the building that celebrate writers and writing from and about China.
If you’re attending China in Context events outside of the book fair weekend, you can browse the special pop-up book fair located on the ground floor at China Exchange.
China in Context is organised by China Exchange and Cypress Books.
Supported by Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, New World Press, Tuttle Publishing, Beijing Language & Culture University Press, CYPI Press, Peking University Press, People’s Education Press, Sinolingua & Sinolingua London.

Commemoration Ceremony to Honour the Chinese Labour Corps in Folkestone
2018-03-14 14:30 - 15:30 | Shorncliffe Military Cemetery, Sandgate, Folkestone, CT20 3HA, United Kingdom
During World War I, almost 100,000 Chinese labourers were recruited by the British Army to provide logistical help at the Front. The majority passed through Folkestone on their way to mainland Europe and many stayed over for one night in a camp at the foot of the Downs. A steady number of around 2,000 were kept in the town to carry out manual labour at Shorncliffe Army Camp and the surrounding area.
Six members of the Chinese Labour Corps are buried at Shorncliffe Military Cemetery mostly victims of the Spanish ’flu or tuberculosis. It is unlikely that their descendants know of the existence of these graves. Therefore in remembrance of them and their compatriots who served at the Front a commemoration service will be held in this final year of the centenary of the Great War.
The ceremony, co-hosted by The Meridian Society and Shorncliffe Station, will be held at Shorncliffe Military Cemetery and will be attended by the Mayor of Folkestone and other dignitaries, local societies and school students together with a number of descendants whose ancestors served as officers of the Chinese Labour Corps. If you or your group would like to lay a wreath please advise The Meridian Society in advance so that they can allocate a space and time-slot.
After the ceremony all those attending are invited to light refreshments at the Sergeants’ Mess in Sir John Moore Barracks.
RSVP by Sunday 11th March if you will be joining the ceremony.

A Simple Life with Roger Lee (part of the China in Context Festival)
2018-03-13 18:45 - 21:30 | China Exchange, 32A Gerrard Street, London, W1D 6JA, United Kingdom
Join China Exchange to welcome one of Hong Kong’s most renowned screen writers and film producers, Roger Lee 李恩霖.
Producer of many award winning films, including Our Time Will Come明月几時有, Summer Snow, 女人四十 and his most internationally acclaimed film A Simple Life《桃姐》, Roger’s works have marked a transformative phase in Hong Kong cinema. He has worked with acclaimed Hong Kong New Wave filmmakers such as Ann Hui 許鞍華, Tsui Hark 徐克, Yim Ho 嚴浩, John Woo 吳宇森, and Hong Kong superstars Andy Lau 劉德華 and Deanie Ip 葉德嫻. His book Taojie and Me 桃姐與我was published in March 2012.
Mr Lee has also written for the stage, and co-wrote a stage play The Amahs 金蘭姊妹for Hong Kong Arts Festival in 2015 on the subject of domestic workers in the fifties and sixties. He is currently writing a book for a stage musical for the 2019 Hong Kong Arts Festival on the subject of autistic and dyslexic young adults.
In this talk, Mr Lee will discuss his film career and how his real life experiences became the blue print for A Simple Life, which he co-wrote with Susan Chan. The film is based on the true story of Lee’s housemaid Taojie, who worked for the Lee family for four generations. The talk will be followed by a screening of the film.
This event is part of the Hong Kong programme at China in Context and is supported by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office.
China in Context is organised by China Exchange and Cypress Books.
Please check the event website for details of ticket types, prices and booking fees.

Forgotten Allies - The Chinese Labour Corps in the First World War, Talk by Dr Frances Wood
2018-03-12 14:00 - 16:00 | Folkestone Museum, The Town Hall, 1-2 Guildhall Street, Folkestone, CT20 1DY, United Kingdom
Dr Frances Wood, former Keeper of Chinese Collections at the British Library and Vice President of the Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding (SACU), has written a number of books on China of which the most recent is Betrayed Ally: China in the Great War. Her talk will uncover the secret treaties, alliances and agreements that various political powers signed behind the scenes while the Chinese labourers were toiling at the Front. Frances will be happy to sign copies of her book which are on sale in the museum bookshop.

George Hogg Fund meeting
2018-03-12 08:00 - 17:00 | Camden Chinese Community Centre, 9 Tavistock Place, London, WC1H 9SN, United Kingdom
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The Future is Female - with Roseann Lake (part of the China in Context Festival)
2018-03-07 18:30 - 19:30 | Guanghwa Bookshop, 112 Shaftsbury Avenue, London, W1D 5EJ, United Kingdom
Join Guanghwa Bookshop to discover how it is single women who are the most powerful force in ushering the world’s next superpower into a new future. Across the globe, young women are re-writing the rule book for their early adult years and relationships, delaying marriage and children to pursue education and careers, driving economies forward. Despite the enduring social stigma behind being ‘leftover’, Chinese women are no exception.
Roseann Lake joins the China in Context festival to discuss how women having greater control over their careers, finances and fertility, is the key to a successful economic future, be it in China, North America, Africa, Europe, or anywhere.
This talk is part of the China in Context festival, organized by China Exchange and Cypress Books.
The talk will be followed by a book signing.
About Roseann Lake
Roseann Lake is a journalist and producer for the Economist, and author of Leftover in China: The Women Shaping the World’s Next Superpower. She was a television reporter in China for 5 years and has written for the Atlantic, Time, Salon, and Foreign Policy, among others. She lives in New York City.
This free event is held at Guanghwa Bookshop (address below) and please register to let the bookshop know you are going.

An Evening with Yan Geling (part of the China in Context Festival)
2018-03-05 18:30 - 19:30 | China Exchange, 32A Gerrard Street, London, W1D 6JA, United Kingdom
Join China Exchange for the opening event of their China in Context festival with best-selling contemporary Chinese writer Yan Geling 严歌苓.

Author of many novels, novellas and short stories, including The Lost Daughter of Happiness, The Uninvited, The Flowers of War, Little Aunt Crane and White Snake and Other Stories, Ms Yan’s works have been adapted for the screen by internationally acclaimed directors, such as Zhang Yimou 张艺谋, Chen Kaige 陈凯歌 and Feng Xiaogang 冯小刚.
Ms. Yan will be in conversation with two of her translators, Nicky Harman and Lawrence Walker, discussing the impact of her acclaimed novels, translating from Chinese into English, and transforming her works into film.
China in Context is organised by China Exchange and Cypress Books.
Please check the event website for details of ticket types, prices and booking fees.

Happiness and Health in Chinese Propaganda Posters
2018-03-02 12:30 - 14:30
Access rarely seen posters from the Archives of the University of Westminster and learn about happiness and health in China under high socialism. Meet the Archivists who will be on hand to talk about the work, and learn about research on Chinese conceptions of happiness and Chinese migrants’ mental health conducted in Soho.
Led by Anna McNally, Senior Archivist at the University of Westminster, Gerda Wielander, Reader in Chinese Studies and Cangbai Wang and Derek Hird, both Senior Lecturers in Chinese Studies, in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures.
The event forms part of the University’s Difference Festival.
“Although some of our posters have been exhibited before, attention has often focussed on the representation of the Cultural Revolution within the collection. We are hoping to use this event as an opportunity to look at some of the lesser-known aspects of the collection and to present a broader picture of Chinese society in the 20th century. My colleagues will also be discussing some of their recent research with Chinese migrants in London.” Anna McNally, Senior Archivist at the University of Westminster.

Researching the Chinese Labour Corps: Talk by Brian Fawcett
2018-02-28 14:00 - 16:00 | Folkestone Museum, The Town Hall, 1-2 Guildhall Street, Folkestone, CT20 1DY, United Kingdom
Researching the Chinese Labour Corps: How it started and what I found
Speaker Brian Fawcett worked in the Far East for many years and was an active member of the Royal Asiatic Society. It was at the request of the RAS that he, with the help of his wife Claudine, began a period of in-depth research into what was then, and to a large extent still is, a relatively unknown story. Brian’s findings were published in the journal of the Hong Kong branch of the RAS and have been an important resource for subsequent researchers.
This free talk is part of a series of events at Folkestone Museum
Folkestone Museum and The Meridian Society’s Chinese Labour Corps Heritage project (funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund) are organising this talk as part of their series of events and activities to help raise awareness within the community of the largely untold story of the CLC and the involvement of the town in their history.

SACU Recruitment Group and other Teams meetings
2018-02-25 14:30 - 18:00 | Camden Chinese Community Centre, 9 Tavistock Place, London, WC1H 9SN, United Kingdom
Details of meetings to follow. Change of venue confirmed (NOT Zizzi’s this time):
2.30-4.00 pm SACU Recruitment Group
4.00-5.00 pm George Hogg Fundraising Group
5.00-6.00 pm Executive Committee

The Meridian Society's Chinese New Year Celebrations
2018-02-24 14:45 - 20:00 | The Bamboo Flute Restaurant, 145 Cleveland Street, Fitzrovia, London, W1T 6QH, United Kingdom
The Meridian Society invites all to join their Chinese New Year celebration. First they will be going for a Chinese new year meal at The Bamboo Flute where owner, Guo Yue, will be host with delicious food and good company. Afterwards the group will be going to BFI Southbank for the documentary ‘China’s Van Goghs’ about Zhao Xiaoyong, a peasant-turned-painter whose family business has produced over 100,000 copies of Vincent Van Gogh artworks. The two can be booked separately or together.
Times:
14.45 for 3pm at The Bamboo Flute
5.45 for 6.00pm at BFI Southbank
As spaces in both venues are limited please email themeridiansociety@gmail.com to reserve your place and avoid disappointment. The deadline for booking is Sunday 4th February with payment as soon as possible and no later than Friday 9th February. Priority will be given to current Meridian Society members, supporters who book for both events, then on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.
Prices:
Members of The Meridian Society
lunch £25, film £11 (£8.80 concessions*), combined £35 (£33)
Associates (members of SACU and family members of Meridian Society members)
lunch £27.50, film £11 (£8.80 concessions*), combined £37.50 (£35.50)
Non-members
lunch £30, film £11 (£8.80 concessions*), combined £40 (£38)
* concessions for the film are available to seniors, students, unwaged and disabled (evidence required on the day).
Please note: Members of BFI pay lower prices and are advised to buy their own tickets.
Places will be confirmed on receipt of payment. Payment should therefore be made as soon as possible and no later than Friday 9th February.
Please send your cheque made payable to ‘The Meridian Society’ to: The Treasurer, 5 Mildmay Street, London N1 4AB. Alternatively if you wish to pay by direct bank transfer please contact us and we will forward our account details.

National Liberal Club's Chinese New Year Dinner and Auction
2018-02-16 19:00 - 22:00 | National Liberal Club, Whitehall Place, London, SW1A 2HE, United Kingdom
Date and Time: 16th February (Friday), 7pm – 10pm
Venue: National Liberal Club, Whitehall Place, London, SW1A 2HE
Tickets: £46 per head for a four course dinner including a glass of wine. Cash bar available on the evening.
Guest Speaker: Rt Hon Lord Tom McNally PC, who will share with us his thoughts on the ever evolving UK-China diplomatic and trading relations.
The Imperial College of London Lion Dance Team will be performing at 7pm at the Foyer. Guests to be seated in the Lloyd George Room by 7.30pm.
RSVP: info@chineselibdems.org.uk Please advise us of any dietary restrictions.

Museum of London Docklands Celebrates Chinese New Year
2018-02-16 10:00 - 18:00 | Museum of London Docklands, No.1 Warehouse, West India Quay, London, E14 4AL, United Kingdom
Celebrate the Year of the Dog with this special family day. Learn how to ribbon dance, try your hand at traditional calligraphy, listen to traditional Chinese stories, watch a lion dance and much more. What better way to start the new year? Free drop-in.
Every year since opening in 2003, the museum has hosted a celebration at the museum to mark the Chinese New Year. This is in recognition of the Chinese community in the area, and the cultural significance of Limehouse to the area.

Lunar New Year celebrations
2018-02-16 08:00 - 17:00
The Year of the Dog!!
In London, the main event, with many accompanying activities, is the spectacular Parade on Sunday the 18th. London claims its celebration is the largest outside Asia.
http://tinyurl.com/ycjecs2g
Manchester will stage its biggest and best New Year celebration yet starting on Friday the 16th and culminating on Sunday the 18th with fireworks and the Dragon Parade.
http://tinyurl.com/y9ax6e8o
Newcastle kicks off its celebration with a launch event on Friday 16th. The city’s biggest ever (and newly ‘crowdfunded’) parade starts in Chinatown on Stowell Street on the 18th.
http://tinyurl.com/yc5padw6
In Liverpool, between the 16th and 18th, “a three-day celebration will take place across Liverpool’s Chinatown….that will tell the story of Liverpool’s incredible Chinese history and culture”.
http://tinyurl.com/y76y96bv
In Birmingham, the main festival event will be held within the city’s Chinatown, near the Hippodrome Theatre on Feb 18th.
http://tinyurl.com/ybxa8wrf
And in Durham, the Oriental Museum is hosting a Lunar New Year Celebration: The Year of the Dog.
http://tinyurl.com/ybkxqkyp

Riches of China: Splendour, Status and Symbolism exhibition
2018-02-10 | Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, Castle Street, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA3 8TP, United Kingdom

Council Meeting
2018-02-03 11:30 - 15:30 | Friends Meeting House, 6 Mount Street, Manchester, M2 5NS, United Kingdom
Please go to lunch

The 4th Global China Dialogue : The Belt and Road
2017-11-30 08:00 - 2017-12-02 17:00
The GCD IV is the only high-end forum in the world to take China’s ‘The Belt and Road’ as a global initiative and to discuss China and Chinese participation in building global society and comprehensive governance of global society

2017 Chinese Art Film Showcase - Bangzi Melody and Book Launch
2017-11-10 15:00 - 19:00

2017 Chinese Art Film Showcase - Song of the Phoenix
2017-11-09 18:00 - 21:00

2017 Chinese Art Film Showcase - Tharlo
2017-11-08 15:00 - 18:00
After-screening discussion
(Dr Marta Sernesi, SOAS, etc.)

2017 Chinese Art Film Showcase - Soul on a String
2017-11-07 19:00 - 21:00
Co-organised by Shanghai Art Film Federation and SOAS China Institute, 2017 Chinese Art Film Showcase presents four award-winning contemporary Chinese art films that center on the persistence of traditional values in the process of China’s rapid modernization. This film showcase intends to help contemporary Chinese art films reach a wider audience and to provide a platform for the discussion of issues related to contemporary Chinese culture and society.

China Media Centre 2017 Autumn Seminar - The prevalence and increasing significance of Guanxi
2017-10-10 16:00 - 18:00
Abstract: This forthcoming paper in The China Quarterly provides an analytical review of the social science literature on guanxi. The focus of this review is on the prevalence and the increasing significance of guanxi during China’s post-1978 reforms implemented to move to a market economy. Since then, researchers have engaged in debates on what guanxi actually means to Chinese people in the past and at present, how it has been adaptive to ongoing institutional transformations, and why its influence in economic, social, and political spheres can be stabling, increasing, or decreasing along with market reforms and economic growth. The author provides a synthesis of these debates before offering a theoretical framework within which to understand the dynamics of guanxi from the changing degrees of institutional uncertainty and market competition. Survey findings on the increases of guanxi usage in labour markets from 1978 to 2009 are presented to illustrate the usefulness of this framework. In the conclusion, the author argues that guanxi is a five-level variable, and that the nature and forms of guanxi influence are contingent upon on whether guanxi is a tie of connectivity, a sentimental tie, a sentiment-derived instrumental tie, an instrumental-particular tie, or an obligational tie that facilitates power-money exchanges. This five-level conceptualization is aimed at advancing future guanxi scholarship in the fast-changing Chinese society.
Biography: Bian Yanjie is Professor of Sociology at University of Minnesota, USA. Concurrently, he is Director of the Institute for Empirical Social Science Research at Xi’an Jiaotong University, China. Dr. Bian is a co-founder (with Professor Li Lulu) of the Chinese General Social Survey, which is a public data archive available to domestic and international scholars. Author of 13 books and more than 130 research articles on topics of China’s social stratification, social networks, and institutional change, Dr. Bian’s current projects include the development of the sociology of guanxi, a panel study about networks and jobs in Chinese cities, and East Asian social networks. He was recognized as one of the 2014, 2015, and 2016 Elsevier most-cited Chinese researchers in social science.
Notes: This is also one of the Global China Media Seminar Series (GCMSS), co-organised with Global China Institute. It is free, but requests registration: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/ e/the-prevalence-and-the- increasing-significance-of- guanxi-tickets-38579296715
If you have any inquiry about CMC events, please contact Alja Kranjec at: A.Kranjec@westminster.ac.uk
