Chicheng Ma, University of Hong Kong

"Religion and Conflict: Evidence from China, 1860–1911"

Abstract

This paper examines the economic origins and consequences of religious conflicts in the context of late Qing China (1860–1911). While the literature has attributed the anti-missionary violence to the cultural clash between Confucianism and Christianity, we show that the missionaries’ economic contributions to China through treaty ports and public goods provision, rather than the strength of Confucianism, significantly attenuated Chinese anti-missionary movements. We then assess the short and medium-term impacts of the anti-missionary episode on China’s economic development. We find these conflicts discouraged Western merchants from investing in China, evidenced by fewer modern banks and industrial firms. This negative effect also spilled over Chinese domestic modern growth until 1930. The consequences persisted to the present time with conservatism towards international trade and, consequently, fewer foreign investments in regions with more historical religious conflicts.

Authors:  Yujing Huang (UCLA), Chicheng Ma (HKU), and Felipe Valencia Caicedo (UBC)

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