France and Germany in the South China Sea, c. 1840-1930

Bert Becker is Associate Professor in Modern European History at the University of Hong Kong. He has written prize-winning biographies on Georg Michaelis, the German chancellor of 1917, and Michael Jebsen, shipowner and politician in Imperial Germany. His research interests include the maritime and business histories of Hong Kong, China and Vietnam

• 1. Introduction.- 2. Imperialism and Migrations: Europeans in East Asia, 1840s-1885.- 3. Colonial Infrastructure: The River Shipping Network of Tonkin, 1886-1906.- 4. Cooperation and Competition: Shipping Trades in the South China Sea, 1880s-1910.- 5. Colonial Burden: French Kwang-chow-wan and the Postal Steamer Service, 1890s-1918.- 6, Colonial Haiphong: Extravagances and Diversifications, 1907-1920s.- 7. Conclusion.

“Becker’s analysis is well documented. Each chapter includes an extensive bibliography and detailed references to archival sources. … At the macro level, this book is a careful and detailed assessment of ‘open economy growth’ based on the development of intensive trade links between Europe and Indochina … . It also explores the commercial and maritime consequences … Asian ventures. At the micro level, it convincingly emphasizes the role of French and German merchants and companies in this ‘great powers’ competition.” (Hubert Bonin, EH Net, eh.net, July, 2022)