Between economy and politics: China and the Leipzig Trade Fair (1950–1966)

Abstract

ABSTRACT The Leipzig Trade Fair was the first multilateral international exhibition the People’s Republic of China (PRC) attended since 1949. The fair was a venue for the People’s Republic of China to trade with both the West and the East and demonstrated China’s industrial development and ideology to the rest of the world. Until the outbreak of the Cultural Revolution in 1966, the PRC and German Democratic Republic (GDR) both reaped economic and political benefits from their participation in the Leipzig fair. This study frames the history of China and the Leipzig Trade Fair mainly from the Chinese perspective by focusing on the decision-making and contention of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) policy elites, as well as the efforts of middle-ranking Chinese trade officials to promote trade. It also examines the role of the Leipzig fair in China’s trade relations with both the West and the East.