# The Chinese — The Wealth of Nations character guide

> The Chinese in The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith.

**Role:** minor

**Also known as:** the Chinese, their, themselves

**First appearance:** 0011-viii-of-the-wages-of-labour

## Who they are

Chinese people as economic comparison.

## Relationships

### [Silver](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/characters/silver)

_professional_

Silver interacts frequently with the Chinese in trade and economic exchanges, reflecting a transactional relationship.

### [Those Officers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/characters/those_officers)

_professional_

The Chinese and those officers engage in frequent administrative and economic dealings.

### [The Teacher](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/characters/the_teacher)

_professional_

The Chinese interact with the teacher in educational or advisory contexts.

### [The Proprietors](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/characters/the_proprietors)

_professional_

The Chinese have a professional relationship with the proprietors, likely involving land or business ownership.

### [The Servants](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/characters/the_servants)

_social_

The Chinese interact with the servants in a master-servant social hierarchy.

### [The Master](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/characters/the_master)

_professional_

The Chinese and the master have a professional relationship, likely in trade or employment.

### [Sir Josiah Child](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/characters/sir_josiah_child)

_professional_

Sir Josiah Child and the Chinese have interactions in trade and economic discourse.

### [Charles II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/characters/charles_ii)

_professional_

Charles II and the Chinese have interactions related to royal trade policies or diplomacy.

### [Charles II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/characters/charles_ii)

_professional_

Charles II and the Chinese have interactions related to royal trade policies or diplomacy.

## In the story

### [Digression Concerning the Variations in the Value of Silver During the Course of the Four Last Centuries](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/chapters/digression-concerning-the-variations-in-the-value-of-silver-during-the-course-of-the-four-last-centuries)

Cited as an example of a country where the value of precious metals is higher than in Europe, despite greater wealth.

### [V: Of the Different Employment of Capitals](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/chapters/v-of-the-different-employment-of-capitals)

Mentioned as a wealthy nation that never excelled in foreign commerce, with its surplus produce exported by foreigners.

### [II: Of the Unreasonableness of Those Extraordinary Restraints Upon Other Principles](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/chapters/ii-of-the-unreasonableness-of-those-extraordinary-restraints-upon-other-principles)

Mentioned as an example of a nation that acquired wealth while neglecting foreign commerce.

### [Article I: Of the Public Works and Institutions for Facilitating the Commerce of the Society](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/chapters/article-i-of-the-public-works-and-institutions-for-facilitating-the-commerce-of-the-society)

Mentioned regarding the maintenance of high roads and navigable canals in China.

### [Article III: Of the Expense of the Institutions for the Instruction of People of All Ages](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/chapters/article-iii-of-the-expense-of-the-institutions-for-the-instruction-of-people-of-all-ages)

Mentioned in the context of historical examples of clergy power and state relations.

### [Taxes Which Are Proportioned, Not to the Rent, but to the Produce of Land](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/chapters/taxes-which-are-proportioned-not-to-the-rent-but-to-the-produce-of-land)

Mentioned as having a land-tax system where the sovereign's revenue includes a tenth of produce, with attention to infrastructure.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/characters/the_chinese
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/characters