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Military Corruption in China: The Role of Guanxi in the Buying and Selling of Military Positions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 November 2016

Peng Wang
Peng Wang*
Affiliation:
Department of sociology, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Email: pengwang@hku.hk.
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Abstract

How does guanxi facilitate corrupt transactions? Utilizing fieldwork data and published materials, this paper investigates how guanxi practices distort the formal military promotion system and facilitate the buying and selling of military positions in the People's Liberation Army (PLA). It identifies the three key functions of guanxi in facilitating corrupt transactions: communication, exchange and neutralization. Guanxi enables effective and safe communication among corrupt military officers, holds transaction partners to their word, and neutralizes their guilt about committing corrupt acts.

摘要

关系是如何促成腐败交易的? 基于公开材料以及实地调查数据, 本文详细探讨了腐败官员如何通过关系运作来影响军队干部的选拔任用, 以及关系如何促成军队内部的买官卖官行为。文章指出关系在腐败交易中的三大作用, 即:联络沟通, 保障交易, 以及抵消罪恶感。具体来讲, 关系为腐败交易双方提供安全有效的信息交流平台, 促使交易双方信守承诺, 以及消减因参与腐败而产生的内心罪恶感。

Keywords

Chinamilitary corruptionguanxipromotionthe PLA中国军队腐败关系干部选拔解放军
Type
Articles
Information
The China Quarterly , Volume 228 , December 2016 , pp. 970 - 991
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Copyright
Copyright © The China Quarterly 2016 

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