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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 November 2011
Trade associations were widely established as new industrial and commercial organizations in modern China, particularly during the Republican era. They were characterized by enormous spatial, temporal and industrial differences, and generalizing, one-sided studies are very unlikely to lead to a truthful, precise historical understanding of these associations. Case-studies that are more fully multidimensional are urgently needed to supplement our understanding. The national bicycle industry was representative of emerging industries in modern China. This article focuses on bicycle industry-related trade associations in modern Shanghai. Files housed in the Shanghai Municipal Archives are analysed to offer a concrete dissection of an individual case-study that will illuminate broader questions in trade association historical research.
1 Hongsheng, Zheng, ‘Overview of Chinese industrial and commercial trade associations and the system of native-place associations and guilds’, Guowen Zhoubao, 2 (18 May 1925), 19–21Google Scholar; Li Senbao, Study of Trade Associations (Shanghai, 1947). The book describes in detail the origins and organizational system of trade associations as well as their relationship to the government, but does not provide a detailed description of their economic functions.
2 Regarding the current state of research on trade associations, Wei Wenheng has quite a lucid summary in his paper ‘The study of modern industrial and commercial trade associations: current status and outlook’, Modern Chinese History Studies, 2 (2003), 287–314.
3 Wenheng, Wei, ‘A tentative discussion on Suzhou silk industry trade associations in the Republican period’, Journal of Central China Normal University, 5 (2000), 79–87Google Scholar; Rong, Zhu, ‘The modernization of Shanghai lumber trade associations: the example of the Zhen Xuan lumber guild’, Archives and History, 3 (2001), 47–53Google Scholar; Xiang, Wang, ‘From a yunmian brocade guild to an iron machinery association: the evolution of a modern Suzhou silk trade organisation’, Modern Chinese History Studies, 3 (2001), 104–34Google Scholar; Jun, Ma, ‘Dance trade associations in the 1948 Shanghai dance unrest’, Modern Chinese History Studies, 2 (2002), 184–210Google Scholar; Yanwu, Mao, ‘A tentative discussion on the modernity of electrically-powered weaving trade associations in Hangzhou in the Republican period’, Journal of Hangzhou Normal University, 5 (2003), 101–5Google Scholar; Shanmin, Peng, ‘Discussion and analysis of Shanghai pharmaceutical trade associations during the Republican period’, Archives and History, 4 (2004), 70–5Google Scholar; Hongxia, Gao, ‘Fellow townsmen and fellow tradesmen, tradition and modernity: historical investigations into the Shanghai sugar commercial association’, Researches in Chinese Economic History, 1 (2006), 54–61Google Scholar; Shuimu, Tao and Suping, Lin, ‘Modernisation of the Hangzhou silk trade associations in the Republican period’, Archives and History, 4 (2007), 65–72Google Scholar; Tao, Li, ‘Discussion and analysis of the organisation and governance of modern industrial and commercial trade associations: the example of the Xiaguan, Yunnan trade associations’, Explorations of Economic Issues, 2 (2009), 185–90Google Scholar; Zheng Shengping, ‘Study of Shanghai ship industry trade associations (1925–1949)’, unpublished East China Normal University MA thesis, 2009.
4 For the earliest records of bicycles in China, see the 24 Nov. 1868 report in Shanghai Xin bao: ‘In the Shanghai area, there have been several sightings of self-propelled vehicles. One person is seated thereon, with a wheel in front and a wheel in back. By touching the ground with the tips of his two feet, he turns the wheels and thus travels. There is another kind in which the person steps on and moves a balance. It too has front and back wheels, which rotate at a terrific speed. With this, a person need not walk. More than one person has witnessed this. Indeed, many have seen it.’
5 Shanghai Commercial Record of Manufactured Goods for Daily Use (eds.), Shanghai Commercial Record of Manufactured Goods for Daily Use (Shanghai, 1999), 239.
6 ‘A bicycle topples over’, Shen bao, 28 Jan. 1898.
7 ‘Bicycles will be all the rage’, Shen bao, 1 Apr. 1898.
8 Shanghai Commercial Record of Manufactured Goods for Daily Use, 240.
9 ‘The historical evolution of the Shanghai Bicycle Commercial Trade Association’ (Shanghai Municipal Archives, file no. S218-3-1).
10 Shanghai Commercial Record of Manufactured Goods for Daily Use, 241.
11 ‘Documents submitted for approval to the Bureau of Social Affairs and other authorities concerned by the Shanghai Bicycle Dealers Association upon receiving the order to arrange its affairs and become established; in addition, documents put on file, including a registration form, a survey form, a work report, and budget documents’ (Shanghai Municipal Archives, file no. S218-1-1).
12 Ibid.
13 ‘Special issue: Chinese bicycle manufacturers in Shanghai call for prohibition on Japanese bicycle imports’, Shang bao, 10 Sep. 1947.
14 Multiyear statistics on bicycle import quantities according to country of origin and Chinese Customs statistics for the years 1943 through 1945 are missing for reasons of the war against Japan. Thus, quantitative analysis is impossible. As the Japanese army scored victory after victory in the early stages of the war, the occupied territory of China grew increasingly vast. Many Japanese bicycles entered China in the form of material for the army. The quantities were huge. Moreover, Japanese military material was rarely reported at customs. Thus, the data in Figure 1 can only be regarded as statistically incomplete. Additionally, the north-eastern region of Manchuria received a large volume of Japanese goods, which cannot be traced through statistical data from Chinese Customs.
15 ‘Document from the Shanghai Bicycle Commercial Trade Association requesting that the Import Control Committee relax bicycle industry import quotas in order to increase the number of imported vehicles and parts and an opinion on control of imported parts submitted to the Shanghai Industrial Association’ (Shanghai Municipal Archives, file no. S218-1-20).
16 East China News Agency, Shanghai Yearbook (1947).
17 ‘Preparation and organization documents whereby this association applies to join the Shanghai Industrial Association, the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce, and the Employees Union for this industry’ (Shanghai Municipal Archives, file no. S79-1-6).
18 Shanghai Commercial Record of Manufactured Goods for Daily Use, 240.
19 This viewpoint is shared with Wei Wen, who states ‘Between 1947 and 1949, the political participation and activities of chambers of commerce and trade associations to a certain degree returned to the conditions that characterized them in the Beijing government period. This describes, to a definite extent, the resurgence of privately initiated political participation when the government loses power. Therefore, both the view that, after 1927, chambers of commerce and trade associations simply fell entirely under the control of the state and the view that chambers of commerce and trade associations were merely symbols of civil society are clearly in error.’ ‘Political participation of modern industrial and trade associations (1927–1947)’, Open Times, 5 (2004), 91–106.
20 Sing Tao Daily, 18 Apr. 1947.
21 Daming, Wu, Yuqian, Huang and Yanxi, Chi (eds.), China Trade Yearbook (1948) (Shanghai, 1948), 154 and 231Google Scholar.
22 Lin, Yan, ‘The problem of opening up trade with Japan: minutes of the 24th General Meeting of the Economic Federation’, Jingji zhoubao, 5: 8 (21 Aug. 1947), 6Google Scholar.
23 ‘Documents of the Shanghai Bureau of Social Affairs concerning the ‘Prohibition against the importation of Japanese bicycles’ (Shanghai Municipal Archives, file no. Q6-1-6820).
24 ‘Documents relating to the following: to oppose the importation of Japanese bicycles, the Association petitions the Executive Yuan and the Central Trust to ban imports and nominates representatives to go to Nanjing to submit the petition’ (Shanghai Municipal Archives, file no. S79-1-10).
25 ‘Documents of the Shanghai Bureau of Social Affairs Concerning the ‘Prohibition Against the Importation of Japanese Bicycles’ (Shanghai Municipal Archives, file no. Q6-1-6820).
26 Xin ye bao, 28 Sep. 1947.
27 ‘Documents relating to the following: to oppose the importation of Japanese bicycles, the Association petitions the Executive Yuan and the Central Trust to ban imports and nominates representatives to go to Nanjing to submit the petition’ (Shanghai Municipal Archives, file no. S79-1-10).
28 When the Shanghai Bicycle Industrial Manufacturing Trade Association was founded, members were categorized into four levels according to such principles as scale of operations, capital and date of factory establishment. There was an obvious difference between levels with respect to member dues, powers to elect, and so on. The purpose was to ensure the work capabilities and efficiency of the trade association.
29 ‘Documents relating to the following: to oppose the importation of Japanese bicycles, the Association petitions the Executive Yuan and the Central Trust to ban imports and nominates representatives to go to Nanjing to submit the petition’ (Shanghai Municipal Archives, file no. S79-1-10).
30 ‘The case concerning the Shanghai Bicycle Commercial Association effort to stop the importation of Japanese bicycles and problems such as the fraudulent use of trademarks: correspondence between the Association and chambers of commerce and between members’ (Shanghai Municipal Archives, file no. S218-1-24).
31 ‘Organization representing Republic of China in Japan, telegram 4099’, and ‘Ministry of Commerce, telegram 20223, 5 Jul. 1948’ (Shanghai Municipal Archives, file no. S79-1-10; Zhonghua shibao, 1 Jul. 1948).
32 ‘Tang Jusheng, commissioner for commercial affairs in Japan met yesterday with representatives of Shanghai bicycle firms to assure them that Japanese goods absolutely will not be imported’, Zhonghua shibao, 1 Jul. 1948.
33 ‘Summary table of the prices of association members during the “August 19” price limit period and when price limits were not in effect and of the employment numbers and wages of member factories’ (Shanghai Municipal Archives, S79-1-5).
34 Shanghai Commercial Record of Manufactured Goods for Daily Use, 241.
35 This refers to the Chamber of Commerce Law and the Industrial and Commercial Law promulgated by the Nanjing Nationalist Government in 1929.
36 Cited in Xinglong, Lu, ‘Modern Shanghai social organisations and changes in the functions thereof’, Shanghai Economic Review, 1 (2005), 86–92Google Scholar; 1947 Shanghai Yearbook, 30–3; Shubao jianxunshe, Shanghai Gaikuang (1949), 500.