Pierre Singaravélou tells the story of Tianjin's emergence as a transnational metropolis, arguing that the city's experience challenges conventional narratives of the origins of globalization.

Pierre Singaravélou is professor of history at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University and a former British Academy Global Professor of History at King's College London.

Stephen W. Sawyer is the Ballantine-Leavitt Professor of History and director of the Center for Critical Democracy Studies at the American University of Paris.