买办的概念,在中国很早就有了,明代对为宫廷供应商品的商人就称为“买办”。但是,在旧上海,买办是人们对替外国资本家在中国市场上服务的中间人或经理人的称谓。买办是当时的一个特殊商人群体,具有洋行的雇员和独立商人的双重身份,“买办大亨”虞洽卿就是其中的重要代表。 The comprador concept, which existed very early in China, was called “comprador” for the merchants who supplied goods to the court in the Ming Dynasty. But in Old Shanghai, compradors were the names of middlemen or managers who served foreign capitals in the Chinese market. Comprador was a special group of businessmen at that time, with the dual identities of the employees and independent traders of the firm. “Comprador tycoon” Yu Qiaqing is one of the important representatives.