The five volumes that make up this set offer an unparalleled account of trade and economic life in China. Trade and Administration of China and The Gilds of China provide a first-hand analysis of the workings of the Chinese economy. Coverage includes the central and provincial government of the Qing Empire, the fiscal position of the Chinese state, international trade, the position of foreigners in China’s economy, opium imports, the Inspectorate of Customs, the railways, and an examination of the guild system that underpinned the organization of commerce in China. The three volumes of International Relations of the Chinese Empire analyse the history of China’s relations with the West in the nineteenth century. Key issues include the increase in foreign control over China and the attempts of the Chinese government to respond, the rise of Japan in Asia, and the final demise of the Qing Empire. With a new introduction by leading contemporary scholar Professor Michael Dillon, the set forms essential reading for anyone seeking to understand economic and political relations between China and the West in the nineteenth century.