[內容提要]：古往今來，任何區域文化，抑或民族和國家，都不可能是孤立發展的。社會生產力發展的不平衡，是構成鄰近區域間相互文化交流的原因。棲息在中國東南沿海地區的史前先民及至先秦時吳越和漠初的閩越與南越民族，背靠亞洲大陸，面向太平洋，特定的地理環境，使之既具頻繁的內陸文化交流，同時又成為中華文明向海外傳播的先驅。筆者不掩翦陋，願以管窺之見，就中國東南沿海古代先民的早期海外文化交往問題作一討論，以求教於方家。

　　　　　In this article I try to reconstruct the initial overseas expansion of Chinese culture from the southeast coast to East and Southeast Asia. My research is based on archeological discoveries in Hemudu, Liangzhu, and other localities along the southeast coast and employs new findings from ethnographic and ship-buliding studies. The four main findings of my inquiry are as follows: First, rice was introduced to Japan from Chinats Lower Yangzi river valley through the Shandong and Korean Peninsulas to Kyushyu Island. Second, China's culture on the southeast coast began to expand overseas to Taiwan around 3,000 B.C. Third, there is no solid evidence to support the assertion that cultural contact among China, Oceania, and the Americas began 3,000 to 6,000 years ago. I have found that the Chinese Yue culture was first introduced to Taiwan and then spread to the Philippines in the sixteenth century B.C. Yue culture continued to expand eastward and southward in the sixth century B.C. and reached Polynesia sometime in the eleventh century A.D. Fourth, sea traffic between Southern China and the Malay Peninsula began 2,800 years ago.