The Purchasing Function in the Middle Kingdom and the Rising Sun

China and Japan have over the years become a paradise for international buyers. China is the world's workshop, the world's supermarket, and Japan attracts buyers for its culture, food, innovation and technology. This has delighted buyers from all over the world who are convinced that they are getting the best deals and benefiting from their investments in order to reduce costs for their companies. Over the years, the relationship between buyers and suppliers has become increasingly intimate. Indeed, the time has come to reduce the supplier panel to favour a cooperative relationship. Cost-killing is giving way to the search for innovation and we can therefore understand the importance of establishing a relationship of trust between buyer and supplier. The other side of the coin is that this relationship can drift over time from professional to personal. This piece aims to make a contribution to the knowledge of corruption and culture in China and Japan that buyers may face.