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This collection contains an introductory essay by Wang Gungwu and 22 studies originally read to an international conference organized by the Department of History, National University of Singapore. The contributions investigate diverse aspects of coastal Chinas commercial, demographic and other ties with the Nanyang region and other maritime areas, such as Japan, mainly in the period circa 1750-1850. This includes themes related to the microlevel of local changes, such as Chinese migration to Taiwan and various Southeast Asian destinations, as well as broader approaches to regional, institutional and other trends, combining philological and theoretical knowledge. In most cases both Asian and colonial sources were used to illustrate the dynamics of Chinas maritime orientation under the Qing, the growth of its overseas communities, and the impact of Chinese traders and sojourners on Europes outposts in the Malay world and around the South China Sea.
Did China drive or resist the early wave of globalization? Some scholars insist that China contributed nothing to the rise of the global economy that began around 1500. Others have placed China at the center of global integration. Neither side, though, has paid attention to the complex story of China’s maritime policies. Drawing on sources from China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and the West, this important new work systematically explores the evolution of imperial Qing maritime policy from 1684 to 1757 and sets its findings in the context of early globalization. Gang Zhao argues that rather than constrain private maritime trade, globalization drove it forward, linking the Song and Yuan dynasti...
Argues that Qing China was not just a continental empire, but a maritime power protecting its interests at sea.
A unique volume that addresses how a thalassographic frame opens up new and important questions for the study of history
This is a multi-author volume resulted from an international conference focusing on topics related to our understanding of the role of China in the global history. Apart from introductory chapters exploring methodological issues and providing big pictures of framing China in the world in particular time zones, this volume also covers rich discussions on the following themes from the ancient period to the twentieth century: organized water transport, cultural interactions, navigators, port cities, smuggling activities, customs service, foreign relations, migration, and diasporas. Written by scholars of different generations who are based in diverse regions including Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, the UK and the US, the chapters in this volume either address old questions from new perspectives, or table new topics that were largely ignored in previous scholarship. Some go further to brainstorm possible research directions in the future. This thought-provoking volume will be beneficial to readers who are interested in rethinking China's position in the global historical stage against the backdrop of Post-Orientalism.