This talk explores the intersections of migration, diplomacy, shipping, and illicit commerce among Greeks in treaty-port China and colonial Hong Kong. It examines how family ties, business networks, and diplomatic connections shaped migration and maritime enterprise, linking individual migrant experiences to the commercial and political worlds of East Asian ports.
The study also investigates allegations of Greek involvement in smuggling and narcotics trafficking, tracing connections between commercial ventures, diplomatic interventions, and criminal investigations. It distinguishes documented activities from contemporary accusations, considering how official records represented migrants and how suspicions of illegality shaped their encounters with authorities.
By examining legitimate enterprise alongside allegations of illicit commerce, the talk offers a history of Greek diaspora capitalism attentive to both migrant agency and imperial power. It situates Greek experiences within broader histories of mobility, maritime trade, and overlapping jurisdictions, showing how a small diaspora navigated the opportunities and constraints of colonial and treaty-port societies.
The Speaker
Nikolaos Mavropoulos has studied Balkan studies (BA) and European History (MA) in Greece. In 2014 he was awarded with the Sapienza University’s PhD fellowship to complete his doctoral studies. As a PhD candidate he carried out his research project, entitled “The Japanese expansionism in Asia and the Italian expansion in Africa: A comparative study of the early Italian and the early Japanese colonialism (1868-1901)”. In September 2019 he received his doctoral degree from Sapienza University of Rome, Department of History, Culture, Religion (Dipartimento di Storia, Culture, Religioni). His research interests revolve around diaspora, colonialism and modern history.
Specifically, Nikolaos has spent time as a student, researcher or visiting fellow in Greece (Aristotle University), Italy (Sapienza University and EUI), England (SOAS), Japan (Kyushu Daigaku), Netherlands (Leiden University), Germany (HWK) and China (SUSTech University). He is a member of EAJS (European Association for Japanese Studies), of EISA (European International Studies Association) and of ASMI (Association for the Study of Modern Italy). In September 2024 he assumed the position of Assistant Professor in the History Department of Hong Kong Baptist University.
PROGRAMME
Date: Tuesday, 1 December 2026
Time: 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm (Reception starts at 6:30 pm)
Venue: Café 8, Roof, Hong Kong Maritime Museum, Pier 8, Central
Admission: $175 for members, $220 for guests /non-members
(Light refreshments are included in the admission fee)
Registration: Please email <membership@royalasiaticsociety.org.hk> and provide your membership number, if applicable, at the time of registration. Please kindly complete your registration by advance payment via Stripe's payment links below (using your Credit Card):
Members ($175):
https://buy.stripe.com/fZu9AU08YgMUedl4FP5EY3O
Non-member / Guest ($220):
https://buy.stripe.com/fZu14o9Jy408c5d2xH5EY3P
Details about the other payment option will be sent on registration. Upon receipt of payment, your registration will be confirmed by email. Registration will be closed at 12 noon on 30 November 2026.