EBOOK Origins of International Banking in Asia:The Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries

Without a means of crediting and debiting accounts worldwide and the non-physical        transfer of funds, the rapid global economic integration of the late nineteenth and        early twentieth centuries would have been impossible. It is the globalization of the        banking system, much of which, particularly in Asia, had its roots in the nineteenth        century, that helped facilitate increased human mobility, the exchange of        commodities and manufactures, and the simplified transfer of funds.This volume        examines the origins, growth, and business practices of European banks in Asia, and        the development of Asian (notably Japanese and Hong Kong) banks, and their        operations on an international stage, and in doing so, provides important new detail        and analysis of economic globalization. It draws on the archival documentation of        main British, French, and Japanese banks involved and provides analysis from a range        of historical viewpoints, including global banking strategy, monetaryregimes,        financial markets, international trade, labour immigration, and the development of        communication tools.