China Made: Consumer Culture and the Creation of the Nation (review)

Much attention has been given to Chinese economic development since 1978 and to the high rate of investment on the part of foreign companies since that time. Relatively little work has been done on earlier economic development, especially in the period between the beginning of the twentieth century and the beginning of the Second World War, when foreign companies dominated the Chinese business scene. The early growth of consumerism in China has not figured significantly in works devoted to either period, and the attitudes of the Chinese people toward foreign products, then and now, is a very under-researched area.

The present book would be welcome on its subject alone: the growth of Chinese consumerism in the first third of the twentieth century. However, it further commands attention because of its detailed examination of the impact of what became known as the National Products Movement. More than this, the author does his subject proud—not only is his scholarship detailed and informative (there are no fewer than fifty-two pages of bibliography)—he has produced a fascinating and highly readable analysis of a relatively little-known phenomenon.

The author rightly points to the rise of consumer demand in the early years of the twentieth century and to the problems that followed, including fear on the part of politicians that the level of imports would significantly harm the Chinese economy and even threaten Chinese sovereignty, itself under threat from foreign concessions and internal strife. Other groups in China were apprehensive that foreign products might have adverse effects on Chinese culture, such as in modes of dress and leisure activities.

The National Products Movement was never a concentrated activity, similar to modern consumer groups or pressure groups, but was a diverse set of movements and activities that championed Chinese products and agitated against the use of foreign produced goods. It drew its leaders from those having a commercial interest in the promotion of locally-produced goods, such as factory owners and those in commerce, but included also other representatives of Chinese society like politicians and academics.

The promotion of Chinese goods by the movement was highly symbolic, identifying users as heroes and associating the use of foreign goods with traitorous behavior. Parents also were extolled to pass this ethos on to their children, thus making them "good citizens of the future." Promotion was through several channels, from newspaper advertisements to trade shows and public events. It reached into many facets of Chinese life and influenced many aspects of China's growing consumer culture.

The author divides his work into four main sections. An introductory part outlines the beginnings of the National Products Movement, together with the context of its genesis—for example, the inability of the Chinese government to take effective measures against imports, at least in the early days of the republic. The discussion that follows concerns anti-imperialist boycotts and the undesirable consequences of a national consumer movement unforeseen by its leaders. Part three explores the communication of the movement's ideals, including advertisements and organized events, followed by a discussion of gender issues and the mobilization of local manufacturers in linking local production and consumption.

In the concluding part, the author argues that the fact that the National Products Movement and its associated causes were generally unsuccessful in their agitation against foreign products is perhaps unsurprising, in the context of the unevenness of economic development at the time, the pent-up demand for what was perceived as valuable or luxury foreign goods (perhaps as status symbols), a lack of national identity and lack of communication across the whole sphere of consumer behavior. The author states, however, that the movement did succeed in raising awareness of consumerism and consumer choice—the legacy of this is still apparent, albeit in isolated instances. It may also have assisted the growth of national awareness and national consciousness at a time when the country was lacking...