Guanxi in intercultural communication and public relations

•How to explain ‘cultural diversity’?.•In order to avoid conflict and strive for ‘harmony’, guanxi (inter-relationships) and mianzi (face) are regarded as the two wings of harmony.•How does Chinese guanxi compare to Southern European clientelism?•One should go beyond ‘de-westernisation’ and look into ‘indigenous’ or Asiacentric paradigms for public relations.

This article attempts to provide a more scientific overview of the discussion on cultural values in general, and those in China in particular, both from a theoretical perspective as well as exemplified in the reality of public diplomacy or public relations. The concepts of guanxi (inter-relationships) and mianzi (face) are being positioned as essential for an indigenous understanding of the Chinese core value of harmony. The article advocates for an ‘Asiacentric’ model of public relations.