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.

Autorentext

Stephanie Po-Yin Chung is Assistant Professor of History at the Hong Kong Baptist University.

Inhalt

List of Illustrations - List of Maps - Acknowledgements - List of Abbreviations - A Note on Romanization - Introduction: Business and Politics - An Immigrant Community and its Leadership, 1841-1900 - The Hong Kong Merchants in a New China - Money Politics in Guangdong - Hong Kong Merchants for a 'Canton for the Cantonese' - Military Confrontation and Retreat - Conclusions: Business, Politics and Civil Society - Notes - Bibliography - Index