This book, first published in 1936, offers the conception of the dynamics of the Key Economic Area as an aid to the understanding of Chinese economic history. By tracing their development, it shows the function of the Key Economic Area as an instrument of control of subordinate areas.
Ch'ao-Ting Chi (1903–1963) was a Chinese economist and political activist. His book Key Economic Areas in Chinese History influenced the conceptualization of Chinese history in the West by emphasizing geographic and economic factors as the basis of dynastic power.