Chinese Labor: During World War I

Author: Wang Mengyan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-09-01
Features: In the late Qing Dynasty, the number of Chinese laborers exported to overseas was in the millions, but very few went voluntarily; most were tricked, kidnapped, and forcibly sent abroad. The development of Latin America, the construction of the transcontinental railway in the United States and Canada, the excavation of the Panama Canal, the colonization of Southeast Asia, and the development of Siberia in the Russian Empire all involved Chinese laborers. During World War I, hundreds of thousands of Chinese laborers directly participated in war efforts or combat on the Western Front in Britain and France, the Eastern Front in Russia, and the Mesopotamian Front in the Middle East. Chinese laborers were scattered across the world, but the vast majority suffered immense hardships after going abroad. Unable to endure inhumane treatment, Chinese laborers staged uprisings and strikes one after another. The brutal persecution of Chinese laborers also drew worldwide condemnation from people of conscience. The work provides a panoramic portrayal of the tragic fate of Chinese laborers, touching on their true inner lives.