Reconsideration on Foreign Trade Relations in Ancient China—Centered on the Silk Road and Tribute System

Under the new situation of international trade competition, it is very important to re-examine China’s trade policies and foreign relations with other economic forces in East Asia from a historical perspective. It is also possible to re-analysis the Ancient Silk Road and the Tribute System, and make some new explanation. This paper holds that the construction and expansion of the foreign trade networks in ancient China was not only closely relative to the changes and development of domestic strength, but also tightly relevant to the cooperation, comparison and interaction with other countries, especially those surrounding China in East Asia. The ancient trade relations also reveal the irregular fluctuation pattern from a long period of time.

Foreign Trade; Silk Road; Tributary System; Networks

Wang Zijun. Reconsideration on Foreign Trade Relations in Ancient China—Centered on the Silk Road and Tribute System. 2019 Asia-Pacific Forum on Economic and Social Development (APFESD 2019). 2019, Vol.2: 16-21.