ABSTRACT
The qiaopi trade was the basis for one of China’s earliest excursions into the modern world economy, and it sprouted a political dimension. This chapter looks from various angles at the relationship between qiaopi and politics. These include the political impact of qiaopi and the qiaopi trade on local power relations, regional politics, Chinatown politics, and China’s national politics. The chapter also explores linkages between postal culture and print culture as well as the significance of these two concepts for qiaopi studies.
