Lords of the Rim

by Sterling Seagrave

On one level, this book is a lively version of Chinese history from 1100 B.C. to the present, through the screen of the dealings of its merchant class. On another level, it is an Arabian Nights tale of scandal, war, politics and, above all, money-making. "To be rich is good," runs an old Chinese proverb. On yet another level, it is a brilliant analysis of the enormous power wielded by a widely scattered group of 55 million Chinese merchants who live in self-imposed or government-ordered exile throughout Asia and, increasingly, in the U.S. and Canada. In the scramble of Western entrepreneurs for footholds in China's enormous markets, asserts Seagrave (The Soong Dynasty), this is the group to reckon with. They're already there. They have a hammerlock on commerce in nearly every country of the Pacific Rim. It is they who financed the current economic boom that has made China the third largest market in the world after the U.S. and Japan, and they who have the greatest stakes in which direction post-Deng China takes. To top off his engrossing account, Seagrave speculates on several possibilities including the breakaway of some southern regions, origin of most of the overseas Chinese, into independent countries. Seagrave has delivered an engrossing mercantile history and he looks forward, with a blend of apprehension and admiration, to the early 21st century, when China is expected to become the world's largest market and the Chinese to join the ranks of the world's most powerful producers.

Genres: History, China, Nonfiction, Asia, Business, Economics

430 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Seagrave was an American writer, investigative journalist, and historian, his particular focus being topics of the far east.

Reviews

[Troy Parfitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fine little book comprised of, as the Publisher's Weekly review put it, a Chinese merchants' history. If you are wondering what you will find within its pages, the subtitle, The Invisible Empire of the Overseas Chinese, is a good indicator. Lords of the Rim is a tapestry of sorts: a series of case studies and interconnected anecdotes involving overseas Chinese and the often-secret societies they have formed. Sterling Seagrave traces their origins, shows us where they're at presently, and explains how they make their money and wield their influence. Mr. Seagrave is a journalist-turned-author and his research, as always, is impressive. His writing style is simple, but effective. He's exceptionally good at making history come alive, and is at once intellectual and fun.

I've heard critics say he's prone to invention, but I've never heard of anyone finding evidence of this. He remains one of my favourite writers; his book about Ferdinand Marcos is spellbinding as are his Dragon Lady and The Soong Dynasty. His depth of knowledge regarding East Asia is staggering. One of my only reservations with this book is the author's prediction that parts of southern China may one day secede. I’m not so sure I agree, and it seems to me that predictions on that scale are seldom correct. That aside, Lords of the Rim is a nice, informative volume.

[James Awe · Rating 2 out of 5]

A history of how the "offshore" Chinese have thrived for centuries by keeping their networks of family/clan/village intact. There is a whole network of financial support happening underneath the surface and now that many of them are billionaires, who for the most part hide their wealth, it is a very powerful network about to be unleashed on the modern world. The premise and historical explanation of how things evolved is very interesting, but the book as a whole is tough sledding. I think I could have read a 10 page magazine article and gotten the same value out of it.

[Randy Friedlander · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a primer on Chinese Billionaires, their thinking, methodologies and love/hate relationship between the Chinese moneyed class and the government spanning hundreds (if not thousands) of years. It helps in understanding Chinese money culture that permeates Asia. Brilliantly written.

[Noreen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A readable “Condensed Economic History of the Chinese People from 1523 to 1990’s. “ Could have been a section in a Thomas Sowell book Migration and Cultures.

Fascinating historical economic perspectives on all of Asian countries.

Seagrave follows the historical evolution of trade-economics in Asia. Western historians seem to trace cultural evolution through ideas, which cultures and associated ideas have survived. Who was “right/correct/winners and losers.”

Overseas Chinese have become stateless, but not travelers.

There appears to be a “global transnational” tribe with overseas Chinese holding a large percentage of members.

Part 1; History of Chinese, tribes and diaspora.
Merchants, Manadrins and Eunuchs constant conflict from the 1523 to 1990-ish.

Part 2: Chapter 10: Japan: Greed confused with patriotism.
Masanobu Tsuji, once served an American pilots liver at a dinner in Burma.
Chapter 11: Thailand: pg 190 -191 Rama VI The greatest similarity between Chinese and Jews, he said was their racism. No matter where they lived, Chinese remained loyal to their own kind, and only so long as it suited their selfish interest, driven by greed. Their sole purpose was to amass as much money and then leave. They felt no obligation. They expected every privilege and evaded every responsibility. To them all non-Chinese were barbarians to be robbed, cheated and exploited. …. bogus insurance companies run by Chinese and the creative bankruptcies to fob off debts, while
protecting their personal wealth. Rana VI died in 1925.

Chapter 12: South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, South Vietnam, Burma, the Philippines and Thailand military regimes ruled more or less openly. America welcomed these anti-communist bulwarks and declared no contradiction between authoritarian rule and democracy.
Chapter 13: Thailand 1925-1988 ish.
Chapter 14: Indonesia
Chapter 15: Malaysia

Chapter 16: Hong Kong: Many rich refugees in the great 1949 exodus with only the bad spirits clinging to their backs. They brought no baggage, because their great fortunes had already been transferred to offshore bank accounts. They had prepared the way carefully: first rescue the money,then the women and children.

Pg 281:The first wave to arrive in Hong Kong was the elite that had planned long in advance; the second wave the elite who hesitated then fled in haste, the middle class was swept along in the a third wave. The poor came in late if they came at all.

Eight plane loads from Shanghai arrived each day. At the top of the heap were the bankers. They brought Shanghai’s financial brains in their carryon luggage and changed Hong Kong forever. They knew all about money, how to get it, how to move it, how to hide it, how to make it do gymnastics. When they got out of bed in the morning, they hit the ground
running. Green tea does that to you. Their intense drive to rescue their endangered fortunes moved Hong Kong overnight from the age of the pith helmet to the age of satellite communications.

Pg 284
Their girls were at Stanford, Chicago, Columbia, Oxford and Sorbonne. Their sons were at Cambridge, Caltech, MIT, and Harvard Business School.

Kipling once asked of Hong Kong, “How is it that everybody here smells of money?” Milton Friedman answered “Hong Kong was a one-legged man winning a two-legged race.” The smell of money was his sweat.

Extensively noted and good bibliography.

Watched movie last night: “The Banker” (Apple) with Samuel L Jackson, nice illustration of financial gymnastics.

[Deirdre · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was in this book that I first read about the fabulous fleets of Chinese junks and learning about Ma Sanbao, one of the admirals who could well be the legend behind Sinbad the Sailor. I read even more about these junks later in Temple's "Genius of China". What is most important about this book, however, is the history of offshore Chinese merchants who had settled all over the Far East in the 1370s, many dating from those families and later ones who refused to return to Mainland China after 1424 when Emperor Yung Lo died. It was his son who wanted to destroy all the junks and close the harbors. In addition, he wanted all the Chinese who lived in Shanghai, Java, Burma, Vietnam, India, etc., to return home. Many of these Chinese had becomes millionaires several times over. There were no business opportunities the Emperor could offer them or their offspring that could induce them to return, and thus was born the Overseas Chinese or Lords of the Rim. Seagrave brings the history forward to almost present times, and we learn much more about the rebuilding of China today and how the Overseas Chinese finally agreed to help bring the Mainland forward in economic growth and changes in politics.

[MuuLee · Rating 1 out of 5]

buku ini terlalu banyak cerita, saya tidak suka, saya hampir tidak dapat mendapat poin dari apa-apa bacaan buku ini, walaupun pada akhir bab, tetap juga sambung ceritanya. Buku ini boleh lebih pendek lagi dari 300+ muka surat ke setengah dari itu.

[Sam Reaves · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting history of the Chinese diaspora in Southeast Asia. Commerce throughout the region from Thailand to the Philippines has long been dominated by networks of Chinese emigrants; how did they get there and why are they so entrenched? Seagraves gives us a region-by-region account. Southern Chinese have been emigrating for centuries, fleeing the heavy hand of the Chinese state with its base in the less mercantile north; putting down roots and growing wealthy in far-flung outposts, the overseas Chinese then became a valuable source of investment and expertise when communist China opened up.
That's the story in a nutshell; Seagraves details the often sordid histories of corruption and collaboration that marked the rise of Chinese influence in autocratic societies emerging from the end of colonialism. He is prone to sweeping generalizations and leans distinctly left, and his final chapter is a bit starry-eyed in its optimistic assessment of the rise of the new China (presumably written before the current Xi Jinping crackdown), but this is still a valuable account of a significant historical phenomenon.

[Alvin Tsuei · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read - changed my worldview on how my life is contextualized within 1000+ years of overseas Chinese history.

[East West Notes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up a used 1995 copy of this after remembering (if I recall correctly) that Kevin Kwan mentioned it in one of his interviews about his Crazy Rich Asians series.

Some of this book is quite dated, but it's still a useful crash course into immigration patterns, trade routes and the politics of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong and of course, mainland China. Vancouver and Australia also get a mention toward the end of the book. Although the descriptions of this book generically refer to 'overseas Chinese,' the text itself thankfully distinguishes between the different regional cultures and dialects within China, and to what extent these groups assimilated into their host countries. He describes "China's split personality - one moment inward looking and tyrannical, the next outward looking and gregarious - derives from the opposite natures of its north and south." Exodus by Paul Collier would be a good companion read to this book.

Criminologists and military historians might appreciate the WWII era summaries of the relationships between militaries, transnational organized crime syndicates and the Imperial Japanese Army. One of the sections that could use updating is the chapter on Japanese army officer and politician Tsuji Masanobu, as files declassified in 2005-2006 show that Tsuji also worked for the CIA as a spy during the Cold War. I see there is a 2010 version, so perhaps that has been added in.

Much of the text describes anti-Chinese feeling in Southeast Asia. The Chinese were (are?) described as 'the Jews of the East' and the book outlines the pogroms overseas Chinese communities have experienced. These events have included mass murder and rape. In Thailand, one publication from the early 1900s described how racist both Jews and Chinese are, and went on to say "no matter where they lived, Chinese remain loyal to their own kind, and only as long as it suited their selfish interests, driven by greed. Their sole purpose was to amass as much money as possible then leave. They expected every privilege and evaded every responsibility."

Seagrave speaks off the cuff fairly often, and I'm not sure if some of his quick summaries of the differences in national or ethnic character (especially work ethic) would be released today, but he sensitively handled the discussions of war crimes and race-based violence which permeate this history. This book covers a number of quite sensitive and thorny issues, spanning from race riots to memories of mass atrocities. While the 1995 version is outdated in its analysis of mainland China's economy and some of the biographies could use refreshing, it's still worth picking up if you see a copy.

[Nisah Haron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buku ini ialah terjemahan daripada versi asalnya : Lords of the Rim.

Sebuah buku yang memperkenalkan siapakan bangsa Cina yang berada di luar negara China dan mengapa mereka boleh berjaya. Jaringan hubungan mereka luar biasa dan keadaan telah membentuk jati diri mereka.

[Jim Firestone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seagrave covers an amazing amount of ground in this book. He essentially presents the history of the last 3000 years for all of East Asia as well as each major country’s history since the 12th century. His particular focus is the role and impact of various Chinese ethnic and expatriate groups. His last few chapters zero in on China during the last days of Deng Xiaoping and what the future might hold for China as a nation.

Unfortunately the book was written in 1995 and a lot has happened since then rendering some of the book anachronistic.

My biggest complaint, however, is that I can’t tell how accurate his portrayal really is. It reads like a series of conspiracy theories, but I know much of the orient actually does work this way. In any case it gives a great broad historical context for Asia.

[Thomas Lang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book, but probably took extra interest due to living in the Pacific Rim for some time. Enjoyed the big picture look of Chinese Diaspora and how their collective history influences and informs their lifestyle.

In the last three chapters Seagrave transitions from historian to fortune teller, a risky move. In the decade since it's published it seems his vision of China's uninterrupted ascent has encountered many speed bumps due to Covid, impending - if not already - population decline, repression / destruction of Hong Kong independence and growing global awareness of the Uighurs Holocaust. But who knows, maybe the Chinese behemoth will overcome a divided and indulgent West.

[Benny Kjaer · Rating 3 out of 5]

For anyone interested in Chinese and Pacific Rim history. Well researched and written, its a fascinating insight into the world of the Overseas Chinese.

[htanzil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cina sebagai negara yang memiliki jumlah penduduk terbesar di dunia ternyata juga menyimpan potensi sebagai negara nomor satu dalam hal perekonomian. Saat ini Cina sudah menjadi negara dengan perekonomian terbesar ketiga dunia. Bank Dunia meramalkan bahwa Cina bakal menjadi nomor satu. Sejak 1994 tingkat pertumbuhan Cina mencapai 19 persen dan yang lebih mencengangkan ternyata provinsi-provinsi di pesisir Cina Selatan yang merupakan tempat asal sebagian besar Cina Rantau (Overseas Chinese) tumbuh hampir 2 kali cepatnya. Sejarah membuktikan para Taipan yang saat ini menguasai prekonomian dunia dengan konglomerasinya adalah mereka yang leluhurnya berasal dari pesisir Cina yang bermigrasi ke berbagai penjuru dunia.

Komunitas Cina Pesisir adalah sebuah kerajaan tanpa bentuk yang terdiri atas 55 juta orang atau hanya 4 persen dari penduduk RRC, mereka menjalin diri dalam suatu sistem yang rumit dan membentuk jaringan finansial yang membuat Cina Rantau tumbuh menjadi kekuatan raksaksa.

Dalam beberapa puluh tahun belakangan lebih dari 100 perusahaan besar konglomerasi muncul di Asia Tenggara, hampir seluruhnya dimiliki dan dikendalikan oleh Etnis Cina. Mereka tinggal dan bekerja di Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand namun memiliki akar di Cina Selatan. Mereka sudah ada sejak lebih dari 1000 tahun silam. Mereka inilah yang dalam buku ini disebut sebagi Para Pendekar Pesisir Pantai (Lords Of The Rim).

Buku ini ditulis oleh Sterling Seagrave seorang wartawan investigasi di Asia. Seagrave mencoba mengupas bagaimana asal mula dan sepak terjang komunitas Cina Rantau yang tumbuh menjadi begitu kuatnya saat ini. Buku ini berisi analisis ekonomi, sejarah Pesisir Pasifik, kronik para tokoh, kisah-kisah pembunuhan dan penghianatan, keberanian dan korupsi, tentang triad, pedagang, kaisar jenderal, pengintai dan pembajak dalam rentang ribuan tahun.

Buku ini dibagi kedalam dua bagian besar. Bagian I - Akar-Akar meliput masa abad 11 SM hingga abad 17 yang mengupas asal mula kaum pedagang Cina Utara dibenci hingga tersingkir ke daerah pesisir selatan Cina. Bagian II : Imperium - meliput sepanjang Pesisir Pasifik dari Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia sampai ke Singapura, Hongkong dan Taiwan dan, melalui Amerika Serikat dan Kanada, kembali ke Cina Daratan sendiri, guna melacak dunia baru tempat para Cina Rantau menjadi Taipan yang kaya dan berkuasa.

Buku ini dilengkapi pula dengan halaman-halaman catatan, daftar pustaka dan indeks sehingga membuat buku ini layak dijadikan buku referensi bagi para pebisnis, pemerhati ekonomi, politik dan mereka yang ingin mengetahui asal mula dan sepak terjang bisnis para Taipan.

@h_tanzil

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a fascinating look into the communities of emegrent communities around the Pacific Rim. Would, however, that this account felt more like solid journalism or sociological analysis. Alas, this breathlessly conspiratorial feels more like a second-rate Michael Chricton writing faux-non-ficiton than a serious book. For a better look at the underside of China's far-flung clans, consult "Blood Brothers."

[Lauti Sutedja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though the writer told it in a very convincing way, with a lot of proof and evidence, I found it a bit tricky to believe it 100%. However, this book is quite good, in order to understand "the hands behind the curtain" who moved the economies of Asia.

[Dr. Amiruddin Alauddin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a brilliant analysis of the enormous economic power wielded by a widely scattered group of 55 million Chinese merchants who live in self-imposed or government-ordered exile throughout Asia and, currently, in the U.S. and Canada.

[Patrick Cowsill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good read, but a lot of it I don't trust. Too much conspiracy theory.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting book about Chinese history. Well written.

[Nura Yusof · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent account of the Chinese people. A real eye-opener!

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the time I was living/working in the Pacific Rim. I was hooked. I'm not sure it would hold the same interest to anyone not living/working or interested in the Pacific Rim.

[Davidius · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typos and non-eloquence may distract at times but anecdotes about history of definitionally elusive overseas Chinese opens up fresh perspectives.