Abstract：Abstract: Drawing upon the emic notions of renqing, mianzi and qingmian in Chinese culture, this paper proposes a new interpersonal relationship model based on Renqing Principle. This model aims to compensate for the neglect of affectivity in the field of interpersonal pragmatics, wherein two essential statements about interpersonal relationship management are made: firstly, relational management is affectivity-oriented; and secondly, Renqing Principle is a sociopragmatic interactional principle. Furthermore, this paper argues that Spencer-Oatey's (2002; 2005; 2008) Rapport Management Model is inadequate in accounting for Chinese renqing, which thus necessitates a grassroots perspective.
Key words: Interpersonal Pragmatics; a new interpersonal relationship model; Renqing Principle; grassroots perspective
