Face is concept of central imporatance because of its pervasive influence in interpersonal relations among Chinese. Chinese face can be classified into two types, ‘lian’ and ‘mian-zi’. ‘lian’ represents the confidence of society in the integrity of ego’s moral character, loss of which makes it impossible for him to function properly within the community, while ‘mian-zi’ stands for the kind of prestige that is emphasized…, a reputation achieved through getting on in life, through success and ostentation. When ‘lian’ is lost, the person will feel that he/she can no longer live in the world.

Loss of ‘lian’ with in a guanxiwang as a consequence of opportunistic behavior means that peers will no longer have confidence in persons or firms concerned. As a result, their relationship within a ‘guanxiwang’ and in society will be untenable. Therefore, face can be another hostage which minimizes the possibility of opportunistic behavior within a guanxiwang. This is another reason why ‘guanxiwang’ cannot merely survive but can also develop in mainland China and overseas Chinese communities.

‘mian-zi’ can also be used to form new guanxiwang. One of Confucius’s virtues is to respect authority and the elderly. Someone with authority, often elderly and with a good reputation , can ask favors of others. The person may act as a common agent to start a new exchange relationship. Favors can also be asked between friends. It is an accepted norm that as ‘old friends’ one should give face to the other when favor is requested. Once again, it has been shown that the Chinese cultural values such as face, hierarchy, power distance are closely related to the creation and development of the business network.