Shanghai International Trade Association Study (1950-1958)

In the intense period of social transformation of 1950s, trade associations are showing a very different fate from that in period of the Republican of China. Only ten years do they toward destruction. But for the reasons of demise of trade associations, the academic circles has not to be further explored. This paper introduced the more typical one, Shanghai International Trade Association, to explore the reasons for the demise of trade associations in 1950s, throughing its establishment, development and decay process.In this paper, the history of the Association has breaken into three stages in the time order, which is the establishment of the preparatory, work under the normal and functional decline. It not only systematically describes the evolution in the nature of the trade association, conference members to reduce such imbalances and changes in process, but also objectively analysis the functional weakening is the internal causes of the trade association's extinction. What's more, we also show the historical changes and survival state of the trade association in the 1950s. With in these analysis, we reflect the socio-political economic life of the early days of Shanghai.Early days, the import-export industry has a special significance in promoting economic recovery, consolidation and development, so in 1949-1953, the merchant of the industry has a unique value in regulating materials of the urban and rural areas, and the exchange of internal and external communication. Besides, for the purposes of national economic construction, it is still indispensable. Although the Association in nature was no longer completely independent, it still plays an irreplaceable role in the industry management, business promotion because of its institutional strengths, and work in unity. With the advent of public-private partnerships, the nature of merchant has changed radically. For that, they were stripped out of the jurisdiction of the Association, then as a manager of the Association are bound to lose its existence necessary. At last, the association finished its task in 1958 as the functional declineThis paper uses combination of research methods, case studies and empirical analysis, to fully explore the files and newspapers which are not published literature, trying to sort out the development context, revealing the truth. At present, the "Two Center Construction" of Shanghai can not do without the support of foreign trade, and can not do without the assistance of industry associations. Therefore, the study will not only promote the research on the history of modern trade association, but also will help to broaden the vision of Urban History. Besides that, it also has referential significance in promoting the orderly development of social groups of economics, and the coordination and cooperation between government and industry organizations.