First Published in 2004. This volume showcases the latest research by a team of international scholars into the economic development of the Asia Pacific region. A geographically and historically diverse range of case studies cover the spectrum of Asian economic activity, from finance to trade and industry, exploring the central theme of the role of the market in intra-Asian economic activity and Asian-Pacific development. Asia Pacific Dynamism 1550–2000 builds on recent breakthroughs in the statistical analysis of Asian economic history, and opens up important new areas for research. Key topics covered include: • a unique standard-of-living comparison, covering the Asian region before 1940 • the role of education in Asian development • technology transfer and economic development • new perspectives on industrialization in Korea and Hong Kong. This book is of fundamental importance to economic historians with a particular interest in the Asia Pacific. It also offers a wealth of original source material, and innovative methodologies, that will be of interest to any economist or historian.