Abstract |
After the Wanpaoshan Incident, large-scale anti-Chinese campaigns in colonial Korea led to the loss of lives and severe damage to overseas Chinese-owned properties. They also ruined Chinese business and significantly impaired trade networks in colonial Korea. After the turmoil broke out, the Nanjing Nationalist Government could not handle overseas Chinese relief efforts due to under-staffing at the Nationalist Chinese embassy in colonial Korea. Eventually, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce's active cooperation in addressing the anti-Chinese incident in Korea helped recoup victims and provide needed assistance. The Korean Chinese Chamber of Commerce immediately transmitted anti-Chinese information back to China. It also appealed to all walks of life to tend to the anti-Chinese incident, promoted the Nanjing Nationalist Government to negotiate with Japan, and made every effort to assist distressed overseas Chinese while cooperating with the Nanjing Nationalist Government in the investigating losses. Moreover, it provided crucial information for the Nanjing Nationalist Government to carry out negotiations with Japan. After the anti-Chinese incident, Chinese commerce and businessmen also suffered heavy losses. The Chinese Chamber of Commerce thus initiated and organized various negotiations and made essential contributions to catalyze the resumption of business activities. The complicated relationship between the Chinese consulates in colonial Korea and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in colonial Korea triggers a need to rethink the relationship between the overseas Chinese society and the home country, as well as the overseas Chinese society's internal relations during the Nationalist government period. In allocating relief funds, conflicts and disputes arose between China’s Chamber of Commerce in various parts of colonial Korea that the consul general in colonial Korea failed to mediate. The relief fund turmoil reflects the contradictions within the overseas Chinese groups and reveals the Chinese Consul General in Korea’s lack of control of the overseas Chinese groups. Overall, the anti-Chinese incident in colonial Korea sheds light on the complexity of cooperation and conflict between China and overseas Chinese communities.
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