340
CHINA.
The following table shows the distribution of the commerce of China among the various countries, or groups of countries, maintaining trading intercourse with the empire, in the year 1868:
Countries.
Great Britain
Hongkong
India
United States
Japan
Australia
Singapore and Straits
Continental Europe
Siam
Philippine Islands
Java...
Cochin China
C
:
...
British Channel Islands...
Amoor Provinces
South America
Canada ...
Value of Imports from.
Value of Exports to.
Total Commerce.
:
'T'aels
24,478,843 15,672,685 26,098,085
Taels 42,040,836
Taels
66,519,679
8,970,289
24,642,974
26-1,530
26,362,615
833,393
6,582,676
7,416,069
2,614,007
937,482
...
3,551,489
734,718
2,849,636
3,584,354
743,879
293,692
1,037,571
:
325,450
4,586,406
4,911,856
691,251
77,673
:
:
768,924
315,458
183,404
498,862
264,887
228,028
***
492,915
383,710
46,274
+
429,984
634,080
634,080
93 913
7,834
•
101,747
68 318
231,630
299,948
37
237,002
337,039
102,899
102,899
796,240
44,122
796,240
44,122
...
73,318,634 2,197,421
71,121,213
69,114,733
142,433,367
2,197,421
69,114,733
140,235,946
New Zealand
Russia...
Cape of Good Hope
Gross total
Re-exports to foreign countries...
Net total
It will be seen that the commercial intercourse of China is mainly with the United Kingdom and the British colonies. To the aggregate imports and exports of China in the year 1868, Great Britain contributed Tls. 66,519,679, or 47 per cent. ; the colony of Hongkong Tls 24,642,974, and India Tls. 26,862,615, being a total of Tls. 117,525,268, or 83.8 per cent, of the whole commerce of China, and leaving only 16.2 per cent. for all the other foreign nations. Among the latter the United States take the first rank, with a trade, in 1868, of Tls. 7,416,069, or 5·3 per cent. of the commerce of China.
The first attempt on the part of Great Britain to open a trade with China was made in 1637, when four merchant vessels arrived at Macao; but through the intrigues of the Portuguese there established, the enterprise failed. Afterwards the East India Canton. In 1792, Lord Macartney's embassy attempted to put the trade on at more liberal basis, but with little success.
In 1816, Lord Amherst's mission for a similar
purpose also failed, though the English trade continued for the next twenty years. the country was thrown open to general traders. The opening thus made was followed In 1834 the exclusive trade of the East India Company with China terminated, and by a commercial treaty, signed on August 29, 1842, by the plenipotentiary of the Queen of Great Britain and the Emperor of China, by the terms of which five ports of the empire were opened to European trade. The five ports comprised those of Canton, Amoy, Foo-chow-foo, Ningpo, and Shanghai. To those five ports were sub- sequently added nine others-namely, Swatow, Tientsin, Chefoo, Hankow, Kiukiang,
Chinkiang, Newchwang, Takow, and Tamsui.
The relative importance of these fourteen gates of Chinese commerce is shown in
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