Made in Hong Kong: Transpacific Networks and a New History of Globalization

"Made in Hong Kong: A New History of Trans-Pacific Networks and Globalization" re-examines trans-Pacific history through the lens of Hong Kong. This book primarily articulates two points:

First, Hong Kong's social development after World War II was profoundly influenced by the United States. Following World War II, Hong Kong society had already embarked on a process of "informal decolonization" during the British colonial era through "Americanization";

Second, Hong Kong's role was also crucial to the development of the global political and economic system after World War II. The dissemination and application of cutting-edge American business knowledge, the realignment of multinational production supply chains, and even the establishment and consolidation of Sino-American relations all received impetus from Hong Kong. However, this role of Hong Kong is often overlooked by commentators.

Hong Kong's critical role stemmed from two major factors: Hong Kong's "transnational business strategy" and the political and economic needs of the United States during the Cold War.

The origins of "transnational merchants" can be traced back to the 19th century. At that time, many members of wealthy merchant families in Jiangnan, China, attended American missionary schools in China and subsequently studied in the United States. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, many of these Chinese elites moved south to Hong Kong, where they rebuilt their businesses. Their American educational background made it easy for them to obtain the necessary capital, knowledge, intelligence, and even sales networks from relevant American channels to rebuild their careers. It can be said that without approaching it from the perspective of American social capital, it would be impossible to thoroughly understand the history of Hong Kong's industrial development, let alone Hong Kong's role in connecting Sino-American relations. Based on the political and economic needs of the United States after World War II, American missionaries who also moved south to Hong Kong, as well as American enterprises and chambers of commerce, together with the "transnational merchant" elite immigrants in Hong Kong, utilized American resources internally to establish schools, residences, and community training centers in Hong Kong. Externally, they radiated Hong Kong's influence, enabling Hong Kong to leap from the "Third World" to the "First World" and even further guide China into the world system. At the same time, American economic influence also spread, thereby assisting in the formation of a new global capitalist system centered on the United States.