I think that the amount of time that you've spent away from China has allowed you to forget, that Chinese employees do indeed, generally, have to do all kinds of personal favours for their employers if thay want to hold onto their jobs or climb the career ladder. The pressure on the average employee in China is phenomenal, especially for those who hold middle management positions. Those jobs are hardest, because they have extra responsibility, while also having to keep their leaders happy.

My Chinese brother-in-law (in middle management), has to jump through a lot of hoops just to acquire a couple of days off to see his family during Spring Festival). Even my in-laws, who have retired, find it burdensome keeping their neighbours, and friends happy, well after they've retired. At spring festival my brother-in-law has to spend a week or more visiting all his superiors, wining and dining, and giving presents. If he was to miss out just one person, his further advancement, if not his job, would be in jeapordy. My wife's family hates the burden, and so do many other Chinese who I have spoken to. It's draining and weighs them down heavily, to the point of mental and physical exhaustion. Most do it because they have to, not because they want to.

As I alluded to in another post, your example of "Guanxi" with your department head was a lot different to Smarties experience, and was not what I was talking about when I mentioned the "Guanxi game". Your experience was more an exchange of equal favours. Your job or recommendation letter did not likely hang in the balance in your situation. Your motivation for helping your head was fired by your desire to help your students develop, and, there was no fraud involved.

In Smarties' case his approach to "Guanxi", was fired by his selfish desire to get advantages he didn't deserve. It lead to a fraudalent letter being acquired, And if he uses that letter to acquire further employment he will be commiting fraud. I find nothing wrong with your "I scratch your back, and you scratch mine" approach.

Early into my first semester with my previous university I was approached by the school leader, and asked to proofread some documents. As I was very busy with my courses, and not satisfied with his offer of reimbursment, I asked for a higher reimbursment. He refused to pay more so I politely declined. He immediately ended the conversation and asked me to leave. He didn't shout, but it was obvious that he was not happy. However, I didn't think for one minute, that my polite refusal of his offer would affect my work situation in any negative way.

I knew that I was already doing the things that were most important. I was correct, for the school subsequently kept asking me to renew my contract, and even after I decided to leave after three years, they still implored me to stay. Chinese employers in China are generally satisfied if their foreign teacher fulfills the following requirements:-

1. Does his best to satisfy the needs/wants of his students (if an FT truly does this, he is almost always successful in that endeavour).

2. Fulfills the terms of his contract.

3. Doesn't rock the boat too much by being overly demanding and argumentative ( I have found that the better schools will tolerate a bit of boat rocking if they find that your demands are fired by a desire to help your students progress).

4. Builds a mildly friendly, civil and polite rapport (no need to go over the top) with his colleagues and employer.

I almost always refused overtime in my previous school, but this in no way adversely affected my employment conditions. I have never found it necessary to wine and dine my leaders in order to keep my job or acquire contract renewals, as long as I fulfilled the general expectations above. In fact if you look closely at the FT requirements in any contract offered to teachers in China, you will see that the above expectations are almost always listed.

As I said, Chinese employers only expect their fellow Chinese to suck up to them, as they worry a lot about tenure. There are better ways for FTs to acquire tenure and/or good working conditions.

As those aforementioned expectations could be met by a one legged green gnome with a degree in toadstool planting, it is not necessary for an FT to wine and dine his employers in China if he wants to keep good relations with them or further the duration of his employment. Even one of your greenest crocs could obtain tenure at a top university in China without having to wine and dine the school leaders.