Chinese Business Groups in Hong Kong and Political Changes in South China, 1900-1920s

209 Pages·1997·1.002 MB·English

by  Stephanie Po-yin Chung

Chinese Business Groups
in Hong Kong and Political
Change in South China,
1900–25
Stephanie Po-yin Chung
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CHINESE BUSINESS GROUPS IN HONG KONG AND
POLITICAL CHANGE IN SOUTH CHINA, 1900–25
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chung/78011(cid:31)(cid:31)/crc 18/4/06 12:47 am Page 3
Chinese Business
Groups in Hong Kong
and Political Change in
South China, 1900–25
Stephanie Po-yin Chung
Assistant Professor
Department of History
Hong Kong Baptist University
China
in association with
ST ANTONY’SCOLLEGE,OXFORD
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First published in Great Britain 1998 by
MACMILLAN PRESS LTD
Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS and London
Companies and representatives throughout the world
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 0–333–67101–5
First published in the United States of America 1998 by
ST. MARTIN’S PRESS, INC.,
Scholarly and Reference Division,
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010
ISBN 0–312–16344–4
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Chung, Stephanie P. Y.
Chinese business groups in Hong Kong and political change in
South China, 1900–1925 / Stephanie P.Y. Chung.
p. cm. — (St. Antony’s series)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0–312–16344–4 (cloth)
1. Businessmen—Hong Kong—Political activity—History.
2. Merchants—Hong Kong—Political activity—History. 3. Business
and politics—China—Kwangtung Province—History. 4. Kwangtung
Province (China)—Politics and government. I. Title. II. Series.
HC470.3.C49 1996
320.951'2709041—dc20 96–24402
CIP
© Stephanie Po-yin Chung 1998
All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made
without written permission.
No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with
written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by
the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1P 9HE.
Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to
criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
The author has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance
with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and
sustained forest sources.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
07 06 05 04 03 02 01 00 99 98
Printed and bound in Great Britain by
Antony Rowe Ltd, Chippenham, Wiltshire
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To my family, teachers, and friends,
for their care, guidance, and stimulation
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Contents
List of Maps and Illustrations x
Preface and Acknowledgements xi
List of Abbreviations xiv
A Note on Romanisation xv
1 Introduction: Business and Politics 1
Locating the Cantonese Merchants on the Changing
Political Landscape of China, 1840–1930 1
China’s Coastal Economic Zone and the Western
Affairs Movement 3
Late Qing Reforms – Redefining Merchants’
Political Role 6
Post-Revolution Era – Market for Political
Investment 8
The North-South Divide 10
Theoretical Considerations 12
Merchants, State and Civil Society 12
‘Political Aspirations’ of Hong Kong Chinese 15
Idea of ‘Invention of Tradition’ 16
Making of Republican Traditions 17
Review and Projection 19
2 An Immigrant Community and Its Leadership,
1841–1900 21
China Factors Shaping Hong Kong and British
Reactions 21
Western Factors Shaping Hong Kong and their
Repercussions in China 25
Hong Kong and Political Independence of South China 28
3 Hong Kong Merchants in New China, 1900–11 35
Reforms in China and Redefinition of Merchants’
Political Role 36
vii
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viii Contents
Overseas-Returned Migrants – Siyi Merchants in
Hong Kong and their Investment
in South China 37
Siyi Merchants in Hong Kong and Revolution
in Guangdong 40
Hong Kong Governor’s Response to Revolution
and North-South Split in China 42
Siyi Merchants and the Canton Government 44
Competitors of Siyi Merchants: Bao’an Group 48
The Battlefield – Hong Kong Merchant Cliques in
the Senate Election in Peking 50
Safety Net – Chinese Merchants and British
Company Law 53
4 Finance and Politics in Guangdong, 1912–16 59
China Consortium and Its ‘One-China Policy’ 59
Siyi Merchants in Hong Kong and Loans for the
Canton Government 60
Communications Clique in Peking and Bao’an
Merchants in Hong Kong 63
Second Revolution in Canton and Its Failure 65
Finance and Politics in Guangdong 69
5 Hong Kong Merchants and ‘Canton for the
Cantonese’, 1917–23 75
Guangdong under Guangxi Dominance 75
Financing the Canton Government – Cantonese
Merchants and the Bank of China in Canton 78
Co-operation of Merchants in Hong Kong and
Canton 81
‘Canton for the Cantonese’ 83
Siyi men and the New Political Landscape
in Canton 92
Financing the Canton Government – Alternatives to
Domestic Loans 96
6 Military Confrontation and Retreat 99
Possibility of British Aid to the Canton Government 99
Arrival of Soviet Influence 103
‘Merchant Corps’ Incident’ 107
Retreat to British Hong Kong 124
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Contents ix
7 Conclusion: Business, Politics and Civil Society 127
Legal Status of Business 128
Invention of a Republican Tradition 130
Good Seasons to Invest in China 131
Notes 133
Bibliography 161
Appendix 1: Major Chinese Businesses Registered in
Hong Kong, 1880–1933 171
Appendix 2: Major Business Groups 174
Appendix 3: Major Business Cliques among the
Overseas-Returned Migrants 175
Glossary 176
Index 180