Chinese Business Groups in Hong Kong and Political Change in South China, 1900-25 (St. Antony's Series)

Politics can be a profitable business as can be found in Republican era Canton amidst a politically fragmented China. Competing merchant groups in Hong Kong sought to finance the regional Canton government in return for financial concessions. This patronage system made commercial endeavours dependent on politics and embedded business in politics. Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 8 List of Maps and Illustrations......Page 11 Preface and Acknowledgements......Page 12 List of Abbreviations......Page 15 A Note on Romanisation......Page 16 Locating the Cantonese Merchants on the Changing Political Landscape of China, 1840–1930......Page 22 China's Coastal Economic Zone and the Western Affairs Movement......Page 24 Late Qing Reforms – Redefining Merchants' Political Role......Page 27 Post-Revolution Era – Market for Political Investment......Page 29 The North-South Divide......Page 31 Merchants, State and Civil Society......Page 33 'Political Aspirations' of Hong Kong Chinese......Page 36 Idea of 'Invention of Tradition'......Page 37 Making of Republican Traditions......Page 38 Review and Projection......Page 40 China Factors Shaping Hong Kong and British Reactions......Page 42 Western Factors Shaping Hong Kong and their Repercussions in China......Page 46 Hong Kong and Political Independence of South China......Page 49 3 Hong Kong Merchants in New China, 1900–11......Page 56 Reforms in China and Redefinition of Merchants' Political Role......Page 57 Overseas-Returned Migrants – Siyi Merchants in Hong Kong and their Investment in South China......Page 58 Siyi Merchants in Hong Kong and Revolution in Guangdong......Page 61 Hong Kong Governor's Response to Revolution and North-South Split in China......Page 63 Siyi Merchants and the Canton Government......Page 65 Competitors of Siyi Merchants: Bao' an Group......Page 69 The Battlefield – Hong Kong Merchant Cliques in the Senate Election in Peking......Page 71 Safety Net – Chinese Merchants and British Company Law......Page 74 China Consortium and Its 'One-China Policy'......Page 80 Siyi Merchants in Hong Kong and Loans for the Canton Government......Page 81 Communications Clique in Peking and Bao' an Merchants in Hong Kong......Page 84 Second Revolution in Canton and Its Failure......Page 86 Finance and Politics in Guangdong......Page 90 Guangdong under Guangxi Dominance......Page 96 Financing the Canton Government – Cantonese Merchants and the Bank of China in Canton......Page 99 Co-operation of Merchants in Hong Kong and Canton......Page 102 'Canton for the Cantonese'......Page 104 Siyi men and the New Political Landscape in Canton......Page 113 Financing the Canton Government – Alternatives to Domestic Loans......Page 117 Possibility of British Aid to the Canton Government......Page 120 Arrival of Soviet Influence......Page 124 'Merchant Corps 'Incident'......Page 128 Retreat to British Hong Kong......Page 145 7 Conclusion: Business, Politics and Civil Society......Page 148 Legal Status of Business......Page 149 Invention of a Republican Tradition......Page 151 Good Seasons to Invest in China......Page 152 Notes......Page 154 Bibliography......Page 182 Appendix 1 Major Chinese Businesses Registered in Hong Kong, 1880–1933......Page 192 Appendix 2 Major Business Groups......Page 195 Appendix 3 Major Business Cliques among the Overseas-Returned Migrants......Page 196 G......Page 197 L......Page 198 S......Page 199 Z......Page 200 B......Page 201 C......Page 202 E......Page 203 H......Page 204 L......Page 205 M......Page 206 R......Page 207 S......Page 208 Z......Page 209 Traces the rise and fall of two competing groups of Chinese merchants who were residing in Hong Kong but were politically active in Guandong politics during the period. Major themes are the development of a national orientation in politics outside the colony by Cantonese in British Hong Kong, the part of overseas Chinese in the creation of political ideology of modern China, and politics as a business investment in Republican Guandong. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or. Stephanie Po-yin Chung. In Association With St Antony's College, Oxford. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 161-170) And Index.