This is the first book to comprehensively and critically examine the nature and background of the Chinese phenomenon of guanxi. It does this by reviewing and taking account of the major theoretical frameworks that relate to these closely bonded long-term relationships that are developed in order to pursue instrumental advantage in a society marked by relatively weak legal and regulatory institutions. The book locates such theorizing in the major features of the rapidly evolving Chinese market society, whilst paying attention to the historical origins and cultural sources of this highly particularistic approach to the acquisition of social and material resources, an approach which relies on obligatory relations of favour exchange between persons who self-consciously and strategically select their associates and goals. The book goes on to develop an improved way of understanding this extremely significant and distinct feature of social, political and economic relations that are characteristic of mainland China’s relentlessly active population. The book uniquely proposes an inclusive approach to guanxi based on comprehensive theorizing which both challenges many conventions and at the same time introduces a research orientation which captures the pertinent psychological dispositions, cultural expressions, and institutional frameworks that underpin guanxi.