The Economic History of China

Seen from the history of the development of human society, the principal modes of production through which China has passed have been basically the same as those of other countries; judged by the concrete conditions of the different modes of production, however, they have manifested great particularities. Hence, there exist many important and special problems in the economic history of China that are markedly different from those in other countries. By important problems I refer to those that have played an important role in the formation and growth of the social-economic structure of China and have produced a farreaching effect on the development of, and changes in, its socialeconomic system. By special problems are meant those whose special characteristics can be noted at once if a comparison is made with the history of foreign countries, especially of Western Europe. Very often the difference is seen in a system or a problem (for instance, the feudal system, the town and the urban economy) not only in the pattern of organization and the manner of operation, but also in the fact that the systems or problems being