Australians in Shanghai: Race, Rights and Nation in Treaty Port China

Although China is Australia’s most important trading partner, we understand little about the origins of Australia’s role in the contemporary Chinese economy. The events, conflicts and aspirations that drove China-Australia trade from the 19th century have formed the culture of economic relations between the two nations that is rich but yet little-known.

This book probes the economic mysteries at the heart of China-Australia relations and combines the genres of the history of China-Australia relations with the history of trade and culture, establishing a new framework that allows a focus on cross-cultural relations. The book also tracks networks of commercial contact and interaction that emerged between Australia and China from the 19th century onwards and reflects on how the relations of both countries can be improved in the future by conceptualizing the cultural knowledge and historical memories produced by economic relationships in new ways.