| Summary |
Annotation As China moves away from a planned economy and closer to a market economy, the practices of Shanghai banks 100 years ago can still provide valuable insight into current Chinese customs and business relations. This book is a systematic study of modern Shanghai banking from the 1840s through the 1950s. It provides a comprehensive history and analysis of the rise and decline of China's financial capitalism through three phases of different banking patterns.The book describes the rise and fall of China's traditional native banks, the establishment of foreign banks, and the creation of modern state banks, while focusing on the colorful world of banking, finance, and international relations in modern Shanghai. It assesses the Chinese government's intervention in banking and finance during the Qing dynasty and the Republican era, as well as the concept of national capitalism after the establishment of the People's Republic. The author examines various modern-style Chinese banks through fascinating stories of Shanghai bankers. And she provides detailed coverage of market-oriented international trade, banking associations, the management of foreign exchange, joint venture banks, wartime banking and finance, hyperinflation, corruption, and banking nationalization. In the afterword, the author indicates that Shanghai stands at a new historical point by virtue of its history and present reality, and will once again become a major international banking and financial center. |
