Pre-colonial statehood in East Asia carried through the colonial period and on into the post-independence era.

Development economist and economic historian who writes…

Precisely how much the ancient continuity of East Asian states matters for development is still a little murky, and the delineation with colonial legacies is still an area of active debate—but the balance of evidence suggests that the legacies of these pre-colonial states stretched through the colonial period, extending even into the post-independence era.