CHINA AND ITS OPEN PORTS.
371
1870 to 1874, Great Britain contributed 52 per cent., the colony of Hongkong 25 per cent., and India 10 per cent., leaving only 13 per cent. for all other foreign nations, chief among which stand the United States.
Great Britain has, in virtue of various treaties with the Chinese government- the first and most important signed August 29th, 1842—the right of access to twenty- one ports of the Empire, in addition to the colony of Hongkong, geographically a part of China. The twenty-one ports, known as Treaty ports, are divided into eleven primary, or consular ports, and ten secondary ports, the first-class comprising Canton, Amoy, Foochow, Ningpo, Shanghai, Swatow, Tientsin, Chefoo, Hankow, Kiukiang, and Newchwang. The import trade from Great Britain centres, exclusive of Hong- kong, at Shanghai, Hankow, and Tientsin, while the bulk of the exports to Gr at Britain pass through the ports of Shanghai, Foochow, Hankow, and Canton.
The value of the total exports from China to the United Kingkom, and of the imports of British and Irish produce and manufactures into China, was as follows in each of the ten years from 1865 to 1874:—
Years.
Exports from China to Great Britain.
Imports of
British Home Produce in China.
1865... 1866
1867...
1868 1869...
1870
1871...
1872 1873...
1874
:
:
:
:
:
£
£
10,677,995
3,603,595
10,846,338
5,090,074
9,340,402
4,996,469
11,217,450
6,312,175
9,621,358
6,842,840
9,481,737
6,139,633
11,830,383
6,628,236
13,246,042
6,624,511
4,882,701
4,751,103
12,454, 34 11,145,909
The exports from China to Great Britain and Ireland are made up, to the amount of more than two-thirds, of one article of merchandise, namely, tea. During the ten years from 1865 to 1875, the quantities and value of the exports of tea from China to the United Kingdom were as follows:-
Years,
Quan i'ies.
Valur.
1865... 1866
18 7...
1-68
1869...
1870
1871...
1872
1873...
1874
Ibe.
1498058-5 127,486,120 1145 1.3-8 137,042 375 123 299,115 122 197,167 148 118,667
152.263.847
130,493.426 127,315,285
£ 9,081,486 10,178 070 8,951,954 10,945,530 9.0 7.598 8,556 761 9,763 276
10 290,365
8.86 786 8,678,4.8
Besides tea, the only other important article of export from China to Great Britain is raw silk, the value of which amounted to £49,807 in 1867; to £82,847 in 1868; to £296,292 in 1869; to £650,298 in 1870; to £1,713,286 in 1871; to £2,035,454 in 1872; to £3,088,624 in 1878; and to £1,939,748 in 1874. From 1863 to 1865, the export to Great Britain included large quantities of raw cotton, but the supply ceased in 1868, while subsequently the cotton exports were of the value of
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