The term derives from Portuguese: comprador or compradore, and means buyer. Initially, this meant that a Chinese imperial official who was employed in a foreign trade office (or consulate) was entrusted with all Chinese affairs by foreigners who were, so to speak, friends with him, and...
Did it often through bribery.
Since the 15th century, the Chinese Empire has isolated itself from the "foreign devils". The only exception was made for the Portuguese. After the Opium War, some so-called treaty ports were open to western merchants, but the “devils” had long had difficulties in penetrating the interior as well as the complicated Chinese internal trade structures. Therefore...
The comprador remained indispensable as an intermediary
He was the head of the Chinese staff of a foreign company and hired them. He won Chinese customers for his company, suggested the drug of abuse (opium) from Western Europe and assessed their solvency. The western countries' upper class received several valuable goods from China and paid their bills with the death and destruction of the industry and agriculture of their trading partners.
In this way, a comprador did brilliant business for himself and his family, but at the same time he helped to destroy his own country
This is where the term came from: the comprador class or comprador bourgeoisie as the epitome of the most awful betrayal of one's own country, freedom and justice.
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