Tan Hunqua

Tan Hunqua was the greatest free trade advocate of all his contemporaries, including those who came before him and those who appeared a hundred years after him. Due to a political climate during his life very few of his policies were implemented.

During the 1710s and 1720s Tan Hunqua was involved in trade with the Portuguese in Macao and Dutch in Batavia. He also traded with Ostend General India Company (GIC) and with English East India Company (EIC). From 1727 Hunqua was one of the main suppliers to both GIC and the EIC.

Tan Hunqua was an advocate of fair and open trade and toward that goal he started campaign in December 1729 and January 1730. He wanted to eradicate corruption, higher efficiency from the local officials, silver landing tax free, and the freedom to correspond directly with foreign directors in their home countries, as well as with higher authorities in China. Sadly, his efforts brought him imprisonment several times and decline on the amount of his trade. However, he remained in business until his death on 11 December 1760.