Despite a wide range of unique factors and challenges of diverse natures, East Asia was significantly economically connected to the remote states and the rest of the world in the pre-colonial era. The primary economic connection was conditioned by greatly developed transcontinental trade routes that tied prosperous and advanced states worldwide. Despite its insulated essence, this region maintained a robust economic relationship with remote areas. Both geographical and cultural isolation of East Asia might be considered hindrances to economic development and commercial connections, but eventually, those challenges did not interfere. Pre-colonial East Asia had a solid economic bond with many prosperous areas of the world and significantly contributed to the advancement of the global economy.
China was the dominant and most advanced one among pre-colonial East Asia states. Ancient Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Mongolia were developed, though none of them was as prosperous as China. Those lands were focused on improvement, advancing technologies, and framing their territories. At the time, ancient China was one of the leading powers globally in terms of economic development. Thereby, the trade history of pre-colonial East Asia was mainly framed by China’s commercial relations. Since the Han dynasty, China has had trade agreements with Mediterranean countries and the Middle East. Efficient trade relations contributed to advancement in economic, cultural, political, scientific, and technological dimensions. China’s economy tended to advance gradually and get more sophisticated, becoming one of the most developed world economies. The mutual interest of prosperous East and West countries was conditioned by the intent to achieve rare or unavailable commodities that were inherent exceptionally in specific areas. It explains why merchants traveled across Eurasia despite vast distances. Successful exchange of goods, technologies, and innovations led to advanced trade routes, connecting to more areas, and improved East Asia’s economy.
The Silk Road was a vast and extensive network of trade routes that connected Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. Merchandises traded on those roads were highly diverse: silk, glass, porcelain, gems, pearls, various spices, rare tissues, animals, and enslaved people. The trade network included land and sea routes and was highly beneficial and impactful for early East Asia’s economic development. The Silk Road transcontinental network is regarded as one of the most significant commercial routes in the history of humankind. The network provided communication between prosperous and developed civilizations for centuries, allowing the exchange of goods, technologies, ideas, and information. Active trade, maintenance of the constant connection between various empires, and information exchange crucially contributed to the overall development of East Asia, reinforcing economic, political, and cultural growth.
Pre-colonial East Asia had a strong economic connection to other regions of Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. It was conditioned mainly by a sophisticated network of trade routes. The Silk Road trade routes served as a tool for facilitating all kinds of interactions, such as economic, political, religious, and cultural, between West and East, contributing to the overall development of various states. This trade network played a crucial role in establishing economic and political relations between China, Japan, Korea, other parts of Asia, Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. The Silk Road was a driver of East Asian economic development and expanded trade. Moreover, this trade network may be considered a sort of foundation for the further evolution of the global economy and world trade system.