Performing humanism in Chinese Public Relations

Abstract

As the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said, “The best virtue is as kind as water (shangshan ruoshui).” In English it can be translated to “the highest excellence is like (that of) water.” This aphorism indicates that water, albeit soft, invisible, and even shapeless, has the power to moisturize and transform things in an unobtrusive way. This water metaphor and broadly the Daoist thinking, along with Confucianism, has underpinned Chinese public relations (PR) to establish its own identity and style while copying from the Western ideas, templates, and models. In essence, Chinese ancient philosophies centered on ‘humanism’ consisting of tenets such as benevolence, love, and harmony, with an ultimate purpose of maintaining authority, social order and stability. An overview of the trajectory of modern Chinese PR after the 1980s has revealed not only the traditional cultural influence, but also the creative reinterpretation and ‘performing’ of humanistic values in contemporary PR practices. It is argued that this humanistic (re)turn to Chinese PR has been and will continue to be leveraged as an astute state apparatus to balance the needs from both the authorities and their people