CHINA
137
Tls. 20,000,000, Salt Tls. 10,000,000, Lekin Tls. 15,000,000, Native Customs Tls. 3,000,000, Miscellaneous Tls. 3,000,000. In addition the grain tribute may also be estimated at Tls. 3,000,000, making a total estimated revenue of Tls. 84,000,000. The amounts given above are those supposed to be accounted for to the Government, but very much larger amounts are raised from the people and absorbed by the officials in the way of peculation. With the significant exception of the Maritime Customs, which is under foreign control, no item of revenue shows any elasticity. The land tax, salt revenue, Lekin or Native Customs, are all about the same figures as they were ten years ago, although it is a matter of common notoriety that these sources of revenue have increased indefinitely. Many modifications were imminent in 1901 in the fiscal plans of both the central and provisional governments to enable China to meet the obligations created by the indemnity paid to the Powers on account of the Boxer rising in 1900. In some districts Lekin and Native Customs are to come under the control of the Imperial Maritime Customs and hypothecations will be made on the salt revenues. The tariff is to be raised to an effective 5 per cent. ad valorem. These innovations will obtain till 1940, when the amortization of China's obligations will be complete.
China had no foreign debt till the end of 1874, when a loan of £627,675, bearing 8 per cent. interest, was contracted through the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank, under Imperial authority, and secured by the Customs' revenue. Afterwards a number of other loans, of comparatively moderate amount, were contracted, mostly through the agency of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank, and several of them have been paid off. Up to 1894 the total foreign debt of China was inconsiderable, but since then extensive borrowings have had to be made to meet the expenses of the war with Japan and the indemnity, which was Tls. 200,000,000 (at exchange of 3s. 31d.), with a further Tis. 20,000,000 for the retrocession of the Liaotung Peninsula. The last instalment was paid in 1898, and the total indebtedness of the country up to 1900 was £55,755,000, the princi- pal loans being the Russian of 1895, the Anglo-German of 1896, and the Anglo-German of 1898, each of £16,000,000. Recently several minor loans, amounting in all to less than £4,000,000, have been contracted through the agency of the foreign banks for the purposes of railway construction. It is but fair to say that these loans have been devoted to their purpose, and will automatically redeem themselves if efficient manage- ment of the lines be assured. In some cases the lines have been hypothecated to the banks as security, and these institutions have nominated a foreign accountant. The country's obligations in 1901 have been increased by a sum of Tls. 450,000,000, the amount of the indemnity paid to the Powers to meet (1) the expenses of the Expeditionary Forces, and (2) claims for compensation for losses to missions, corporations, individuals, &c.
AREA AND POPULATION
China proper, extending over 1,336,841 English square miles, is divided into eighteen provinces, the area and population of which are given below, the figures with an being from Chinese official data for 1882, those with a † from the data of 1879, and Fohkien being estimated on the basis of the census of 1844:-
Estimated Popultn. per
Province
Provincial Capital
Area English Square Miles
Population Square Mile
Chihli +
Peking
58,949
17,937,000
304
Shantung
Tsinan
53,762
36,247,835
557
Shansi *
Taiyuen.
56,268
12,211,453
221
Honan *
Kaifung.
66,913
22,115,827
340
Kiangsu *
Nanking
Anhwei*
Ngankin
92,961 {
20,905,171
470
20,596,288
425
Kiangsi +
Nanchang
72,176
21,534,118
340
Chekiang *
Hangchow
39,150
11,588,692
296
Fohkien.
Foochow
38,500
22,190,556
574
Hupeh *
Wuchang
Hunan*.
Changchau
144,770 {
22,190,556
473
21,002,604
282
Shensi †
Sigan
8,432,193
126
Kansuh +
Lanchow
192,850
9,285,377
74
Szechuen *
Chingtu.
166,800
67,712,897
406
Kwangtung*
Canton
79,456
29,706,249
377
Kwangsi +
Kwelin
78,250
5,151,327
65
Kweichau +
Kweiyang
64,554
7,669,181
118
Yunnan t
Yunnan
107,969
11,721,576
108
1,312,328
383,253,029
292
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