Overseas Chinese And Economic Transition Of Emigration County: 1888-1949

Contents: Though China is not the only emigration country, nor even the main one, it's emigrants and their offspring's identifying with their original nation and their close connections with it are definitely incomparable. During late Qing and Republican times, economic of Chinese Emigration County transforms from a traditional one to a modern one. By combining field investigation with historical research, and taking Mei County in Canton, the famous emigration county of China as a case, this paper elaborates and discusses the transition of the county in industry, agriculture and communication and financial service industries, and tries to make a historical investigation of overseas Chinese's role in this process as well. This paper argues that Mei County's economic transition is promoted strongly by overseas Chinese's through their communication abroad and corporation home: On industry, they initiate investing on new industries and enterprises, and introduce modern manage pattern from west, thus play an active role in impelling the indigenous industrialization. On agriculture, they introduce and promote new breeds, improve cultivating skills at the same time, especially they create reclaim and cultivate companies of certain scales. Moreover, overseas Chinese play a vital role on communication and financial service industries, in which tradition and modernization intergrowths and prospers with each other.