• En Chine tu es perdu sans Guanxi

    Inside the Race to Build the World’s Fastest #Bitcoin Miner
    http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2013/04/bitcoin-mining-rigs

    To hear CEO Yifu Guo tell it, Avalon won because they bet everything on a network of friends, college buddies, and acquaintances in China — who helped them build their first 300 systems in four months. After spending September and October last year working with “friends or people that were really smart” designing the systems, Guo flew to Shenzhen, China, where he spent another two months negotiating with the suppliers who would help him build his Bitcoin mining machines.

    Guo called on his network to lend him cars, to introduce him to parts suppliers, even to ship packages. Avalon had sketched out the chip in the U.S., but it then paid (using Bitcoins, natch) a group of engineers at a Chinese computer company to build out the chip’s design using specialized chip-making software that created specifications that the chip’s manufacturer, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, could actually use.

    “Nothing happens in Asia if you don’t know somebody. It doesn’t matter how much money you have,” Guo says. “That’s really what it came down to.”

    Ce sont ces relations personnelles qu’on appelle guanxi , des amitiés spécifiquement chinoises qu’il faut construire si tu veux faire de choses intéressantes en #Chine.

    Il faut constamment entretenir ses guanxi
    http://www.worldlearnerchinese.com/content/what-guanxi

    Most western educated businessmen think that this kind of relationship is only based on direct cash exchanges. Although this is correct on some levels it isn’t the norm today. Often “guanxi” transactions are “hidden” and not made obvious to the casual observer. Although the direct giving of “gifts” is a common form of building “guanxi” it isn’t the only way. Inviting or hosting dinners for prospective clients or business partners can create an environment for “guanxi.” Also the exchange of favors or “inside information” may amount to good “guanxi.” However, not all “guanxi” is good “guanxi.” Relationships built on “guanxi” can quickly fade or disappear if part of the “relationship chain” is put into question for any reason. There is a fine line between “guanxi” and bribery. The path to good “guanxi” isn’t an easy path to follow. Tipping to one side can put relationships made in this way a case for legal action. As China is creating its own terms for capitalism and legal business transactions the distinction many not become any clearer. So creating “guanxi” is like walking into a thick mist where you constantly have to feel your way through.

    How much guānxi do you have?

    Pour les questions pratiques on peut consulter l’article suivant :

    http://www.gcis.com.cn/China/Regarding%20Guanxi.htm

    Getting (some) things done with Guanxi:

    The first thing to remember is that this is a difficult system to use for a foreigner. So the best and first practice is to not use it, or at least keep it small and simple and innocuous.

    The second thing to remember is that your business associates and staff all know how to use it — so the first thing to do is to require them to deal with the issue. At least they should be able to figure out what the reasonable range of root causes is and the corresponding range of solutions might be.

    The third thing, if the problem really has no other recourse, is to exercise serious caution in engaging a Guanxi Merchant.

    Perhaps the best solution is to search out and maintain several relationships of your own — but with foreigners who have substantial
    in-country experience and are established and reputable. Preferably their experience is in RMB (Chinese Yuan) business, directly on-the-ground stuff. When situations arise — tap their experiences and resources.

    But then remember that you have just incurred a Guanxi Debt.

    #Guanxi
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanxi