Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/807

 COMMERCE

755

Mining. — Most of the 18 provinces and the 3 provinces of Manchuria con- tain coal, and China may be regarded as one of the first coal countries of the world. The coal fields cover an area of 133,513 acres and the average annual coal output is estimated at 19,000,000 tons. Iron ores are abun- dant in the anthracite field of Shansi, where the iron industry is ancient, in Chihli, in Shantung and other provinces, and iron (found in conjunction with coal) is worked in Manchuria. The annual production of iron ore is about 468,638 tons. The Tayeh iron deposits, near Hankow, are among the richest in the world. On the Upper Yangtse and in Shensi province petroleum is being worked. Copper ore is plentiful in Yunnan where the copper- mining industry has long existed ; Yunnan Province is one of the richest copper districts in the world. Tin is the most important mineral export. It is mined in Yunnan, and through Mengtsz it reaches Hong Kong, whence it is shipped to foreign countries. Antimony ore is exported from Hunan; the annual output is about 28,316 tons. The annual output of gold is 71,582 ounces; of silver, 107,155 ounces; of lead, 13,527 tons ; of copper, 10,963 tons. Mining for wolfram is being carried on at Swatow, and in the north-western part of Chihli Province.

Commerce.

Foreign trade of China (exclusive of bullion) : —

-

mi

1910 1917

1918

1919

Net Imports. Export*

£

58,939,S19 54,321,069

£

•6,007,888

80.299,561

119,072,400 110,301,853

4

145,658,383 127,544,295

£

-2,455 199,756,313

Trade by principal countries in 1918 and 1919 in HK. Taels (1 HK. Taeb 6s. 4d. in 1919).

Impori

ts

1918

1919

1918

1919

HK. Taels

HK. Taels

HK. Taels

HK. Taels

United Kingdom.

49,890,293

64,292,239

25,264,589

57,188,242

Hong Kong.

162,191,816

153.631,544

116,988,021

131,495,296

India

7,988,896

26,980,705

8,087,801

9,599,413

Russia and Siberia 1

1.434,106

1.724,603

1. 972.357

5.516,517

France

1.56S.858

3.375,809

30,4<

34.2S5.9S9

Singapore.

10,331,544

10,115,656

6,4C-

11,220,792

IUlT.

356,674

991,556

9,634.780

5,144,292

United States

58,6S6,044

110,236,706

77,134,205

101,118,677

Japan.

23S.

2 46.910,997

163,394,092

195,006,032

1 By land frontier.

The imports into China from Hong Kong come originally from, and the exports from China to that colony are further carried on to, Great Britain, France, America, Australia, India, the Straits, and other countries.

The share of the British Empire in the foreign trade of China in 1918 was 23-25 per cent., of Japan 52 31 per cent., and of the United States 453 per cent.