Page:Twentieth Century Impressions of Hongkong, Shanghai, and other Treaty Ports of China.djvu/286



HE commencement of trade relations between China and the rest of the world is inseparably bound up with the modern history of the country, and is fully traced elsewhere in this volume. In the present article, which seeks to show the tendency of trade during recent years, it will suffice therefore to recall that the "discovery of the Far East" was made about the year 1511 by the Portuguese, who were followed by the Spanish in 1575, the Dutch in 1622, the English in 1635, the Russians (by overland caravan routes) in 1658, the French in 1728, and the Americans in 1784; whilst later came the Swedes, Danes, and Belgians.

Until 1834, China dictated the terms upon which foreign trade was permitted, but the result of the British Treaty of 1842 and of other treaties of later date was a complete reversal of this position.

Of the old trade of China little is known, for practically the only records of its scope are to be found in the archives of the East India Company, who enjoyed an absolute monopoly until 1834. The few articles imported were wanted only in small quantities, and consisted for the most part of woollens, quicksilver, lead, opium, and various sundries. Cotton manufactures, which now form so large a proportion of the imports, could not, in the days of hand-looms, compete with Chinese productions. In exchange, tea, silk, nankeens, and curiosities were received. Practically the whole trade was on a cash basis, individual merchants sometimes stocking as much as a million dollars' worth of specie.

The development of the new trade has been marked more especially by an enormous increase in the number of articles for which a demand has been created, as well as in the number of those exported.

The net value of the foreign trade of China for each of the ten years ending December 31, 1907. is shown in the appended table: —

The net imports represent the value of goods imported direct from foreign countries less the value of those re-exported to foreign countries. The exports include only Chinese produce exported abroad.

As will be seen from the above table, the net value of the foreign trade of China has increased by nearly yo per cent, in the last decade. In 1907 it showed an advance of 527 per cent, upon that for 1906, net im- ports contributing Tls.6,131,287 to this result, and exports, Tls. 27,923,958.

The value of foreign goods re-exported to foreign countries during 1906 was Tls. 18,020,205 and during 1907 Tls. 12,670,293, the gross value of foreign trade for those two years amounting respectively to Tls. 682,767,231 and Tls. 706,122,652. Obviously, however, the figures showing the net and not the gross trade are those upon which the volume of China's foreign trade must be calculated.

The value of China's total trade with Great Britain and other countries cannot be gauged with any approximation to accuracy. A large transhipment trade takes place at Hongkong, and, as there are no Customs at that port, it is impossible to ascertain either the original source of the commodities received from it, or the real destination of those sent to it. The following statement of the value of China's direct trade with Hongkong and with Great Britain since 1900, supplies the only available data upon which any estimate of China's whole trade with Great Britain can be formed: — HONGKONG. GREAT BRITAIN. Imports. Exports. Total. Imports. Exports. TotaL Taels. Taels. Taels. Taels. Taels. Taels. ,846,617 ,(^61,634 ,808,251 ,467,409 ,356,428 .823,837 20,329,884 ,435-103 ,764,987 ,223,538 .561.045 .784.583 ,524,169 «2,657,375 ,181,544 ,624,610 ,344,375 ,968,985 ,520,433 ,i(5,6os ,716,058 ,603,772 ,024,095 ,627,867 ,085,010 ,858,017 ,(^3,027 ,220,(55 ,269,963 .4(^,918 ,071,198 .452,643 l),523,«4I ,343 I 8,064,270 ,536,613 ,936,957 ,740427 ,677,384 ,738,2(^2 ,298,315 ,036,607 ,642,016 ,226434 ,868,450 ,562,700 ,107,645 .670.345 Until 1905 no distinct record was kept of China's direct trade with various European countries, except Great Britain and Russia. The total net values of the trade, including imports and exports, with the leading European countries since that year are given below: — »905. . . Taels. Taels. T.iels. Great Britain ,536,613 ,036,607 ,670,345 Russia ,449.129 .341.027 ,114,559 France ,683,867 ,640,638 ,817,211 Germany ,223,724 .105,154 ,286,595 Belgium ,821,020 ,396,712 ,559,700 Italy .595.098 .722,941 ,646,887 Netherlands .961.331 ,947,096 .335.544 Austria and Hungary ,828,622 ,605481 ,283,180 Other countries S.IOO ,804 ,445