Research has proved the existence of a "personal influence" model of public relations in Far Eastern countries. The literature also suggests that the personal influence model is often performed in an unethical manner. Based on the discussion on the practice of the personal influence model and its unethical implication, this article aims to develop a contemporary Chinese philosophy of public relations. The premises of this article in exploring this topic are 1) public relations in China must achieve status and recognition asa legitimate profession, and 2) a sound philosophical cornerstone is essential to achieve professionalism. In this article, I explored the way in which Chinese culture contributes to the development of the practice of the personal influence model, especially in relation to the employment of guanxi. Then, I reviewed the Western theory of global public relations, focusing on the concept of a symmetric worldview. Last, the contemporary Chinese philosophy of public relations was developed. I make five suggestions: 1) introduce the notion of "holism" and expand the purview of the "extended family" to "society"; 2) highlight social responsibility and public interest; 3) emphasize disclosure, 4) reemphasize the old tenet, Jen; and 5) highlight equality. Yi-Hui Huang is an associate professor at the Department of Advertising of the National Chenchi University in Taiwan. Chinese philosophy of public relations. The premises of this article in exploring this topic are 1) public relations in China must achieve status and recognition as a legitimate profession, and 2) a sound philosophical cornerstone is essential for achieving professionalism. Public relations scholars must be aware of the philosophical problems that public relations practitioners encounter these days. It is also crucial to ponder the old Chinese wisdom about life and the world and let it shed light on the contemporary problems in this ever-changing world. The case of Taiwan was examined as a basis for exploring the contempary problems of public relations in Chinese societies for three reasons. First, considered by international society as a "renegade province of China," the "Island China" has anointed itself the actual and legitimate heir of Chinese tradition and Chinese culture.(1) Meanwhile, Taiwan has taken a different path from that of the mainland, both politically and economically. The process of democratic transformation has uncovered several thorny problems that all Chinese public relations practitioners are facing today, In this sense, the case of Taiwan not only dt demonstrates the problems that traditional Chinese culture ma! have to cope with, but also reveals the problems that would fashion the modern Chinese society. Second, the cultural, political, and social backdrop of Taiwan, compared to that of most other countries, is unique and worth exploring. As Berman indicated, each country has its own cultural path," and no other country would be likely to choose going through what Taiwan experienced. Basically, all of the "specific variables" identified in the theory of global public relations, such as culture, political-economic system, media system, and so forth, have their unique respective influences on public relations practice in Taiwan.(3) In tills sense, the case of Taiwan generates valuable insights into relevant theoretical arenas. Third, the suggestion made by Redding and Wong mas followed. They chose to focus on the organizations of overseas Chinese rather than on those in China when the!: examined the psychology of Chinese organizational behavior. Redding and Wong maintained that the organizations in China are currently changing with such speed that "most of our received knowledge of them is out of date and a review of it could be misleading".(4).
