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"The Chinese tea trade actually represented China’s entry point into global capitalism." - what about the silk road?
by andarleen 6y ago
"The Chinese tea trade actually represented China’s entry point into global capitalism." - what about the silk road?
- mytailorisrich 6y ago"Global capitalism" means the Western international order. The silk road was not Western, but represented (or real or mythical) a time a Asian (China to Middle East) golden age. There's a reason that "Belt and Road" is presented as building a new silk road.
- andarleen 6y agoWell yes, and that's the issue. Capitalism was there in a basic form way before the western international order. Worth reading on it.
- BurningFrog 6y agoThe Silk Road was a very important trade route, but I hesitate to call it capitalist. To me, free market capitalism was invented in the 1700s, and is what sparked the Industrial Revolution, which is still going on.
- jbay808 6y agoI came here to say the same thing. The article implies a definition that is not a "Western world order" but rather globalized trade: > The Chinese tea trade actually represented China’s entry point into global capitalism. Tea was traded, directly and indirectly, for Patna opium, Peruvian silver, Caribbean sugar, English textiles and Burmese rice. I think silk would qualify, over a thousand years prior, and being traded at least as far as the Roman Empire.