572
CHINA
million Haikwan taels below that of 1926. Had silver exchange and the local values of Chinese produce maintained the same level as in the preceding year, the value of the trade as a whole would have shown an even greater decrease. China was favoured by excellent crops, and her export trade could have expanded to a remarkable degree if she had been able to transport her produce to the seaboard, for shipment abroad, in sufficient quantities and at reasonable prices. She could have taken a much greater advantage than she was able to of the failure of the cotton crop in America. Her antimony, tin, and manganese ore, her wood oil, her silk would have found very favourable markets. Unfortunately, difficulties and unreliability of transportation, increased costs of production, and the high prices asked or expected all contributed to discourage the foreign demand. With very few exceptions, it may be said that every treaty port of China had its full share of the tribulations which affected the country in general, and the brief review of the trade of each port during 1927 makes none too cheerful reading. It is even somewhat monotonous, on account of the similarity of conditions at almost all the ports.
AREA AND POPULATION
China proper, extending over 1,335,841 square miles, is divided into eighteen provinces. Considerable trouble and care has been taken by the Postal Administration to obtain an estimate of the population of China. Recourse was had to the assistance of the provincial officials, which in most cases was willingly accorded. Below is given a close approximation to actual figures. The footnote will show the limitations that have so far been imposed to a full record of the outlying districts:-
Province.
Anhui Chekiang
Area, square miles.
Province.
54,826
36,680
Chihli Fukien Hunan
...
115,830
Kwangtung...... Shantung. Szechuen
46,332
Yunnan...
83,398
Shansi
Hupeh
Kiangsi..
Kiangsu
Kwangsi
71,428
Shensi
69,498
Kansu
38,610
Honan
77,220
Kweichow
Total.....
Manchuria (Chinese estimate)
Population
Peping District....
4,014,000
Hunan
Chihli
29,400,000
Shansi
11,080,000
Honan
30,831,000
Kiangsi Kiangsu Shanghai
Shensi
9,465,000
Anhui
Kansu
5,927,000
Chekiang
.....
Sinkiang.
2,519,579
Fukien
...
Manchuria
....
19,290,000
Shantung Szechuen Hupeh....
38,000,000
Kwangtung Kwangsi.
....
76,713,000
Yunnan
33,800,000
Kweichow
Area, square mile. 100,000
55,984
218,533
146,718
81,853
75,290
125,483
67,954
67,180
1,532,819
363,000
Population
22,000,000
24,467,000
26,920,000
5,550,200
37,000,000
26,578,000
·
20,000,000
30,000,000
8,800,000
9,839,000 11,216,400
...
TOTAL: 457,787,000
Not included in the above (no data available) :-
(a.) 1 Hsien and Mongolia in Peping District (b.) 3 Hsien in Manchuria District.
(c.) Tibet.
The total number of foreigners in China was given in 1927 as 302,153 as compared with 346,883 in 1926. Of these, 201,721 were Japanese, 68,097 Russian, 11,714 British.