732
CHINA
creation of three naval squadrons, the Northern, the Southern and the Central, each to consist of 10 battleships and first-class cruisers, 10 second-class cruisers, 10 torpedo-boat destroyers, and 50 torpedo-boats, with a crew of 10,500 men.
The scheme is apparently pigeon-holed at Peking for the present, but six torpedo-boat destroyers have recently been built for China in Japanese yards, and four river gunboats were launched in 1908 from Hongkong yards. A Commission, headed by H. I. H. Prince Tsai Hsün, visited Europe in 1909 to study naval organisations with the object of developing China's navy.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
The ports open to trade are:--Newchwang, Chinwantao, Tientsin, Chefoo, Shanghai, Soochow, Chinkiang, Nanking, Wuhu, Kiukiang, Hankow, Yochow, Changsha, Shasi, Ichang, Chungking, Hangchow, Ningpo, Wenchow, Santu, Foochow, Amoy, Swatow, Canton, Samshui, Wuchow, Kongmoon, Nanning, Kiungehow, and Pakhoi. Lungchow, Méngtsz, Szemao and Tengyueh, on the frontiers of Tonkin and Burmah, and Yatung in Tibet, are stations under the cognisance of the Foreign Customs. Mukden, Antung and Tatiengkow and many other inland places in Manchuria have recently been opened to foreign trade. The import trade, exclusive of the Colony of Hong- kong, centres chiefly at Shanghai, Tientsin, Hankow and Canton, while the bulk of the exports pass through the ports of Shanghai and Canton. The annual value of the trade of China coming under the supervision of the Imperial Maritime Customs was as follows:-
Net Imports from Foreign Countries.
Net Exports to Foreign Countries.
Total of Foreign trade.
Net Imports of Native Goods
1905...Hk. Tls. 447,100,791 Hk. Tīs. 227,888,197 Hk. Tls. 674,988,988 Hk. Tls. 166,884,461
1906...
410,270,082
>>
1907...
""
416,401,369
31
236,456,739 264,380,697
11
**
1908...
"}
394,505,478
276,660,403
646,726,821 680,782,066 671,165,881
"1
158,276,126 137,552,030 178,544,248
1908 equals at-
Ex. 48, Mex. $583,868,107
Mex. $993,325,504 £89,488,784
Mex. $264,245,487
Ex. 2s. 8d., £52,600,730
Mex. $409,457,396 £36,888,054
£23,805,900
The following was the net value of commodities imported direct from and exported direct to Foreign Countries in 1908. These figures do not include the trade carried on with neighbouring countries in Chinese junks, which does not come within the control of the Foreign Customs:-
Hongkong
Japan (including Formosa)
Imports Exports Totals .Hk. Tls. 150,252,300
92,107,963
242,360,263
Great Britain
52,500,969
37,119,948
89,620,908
United States of America
72,560,900
12,554,797
85,115,697
Russia, Siberia and Russian Pacific Ports
**
41,245,704
23,824,059
65,069,763
India
77
8,652,505
29,558,616
38,211,121
France
30,498,855
4,090,111
34,588,966
Germany
2,403,458
32,129,193
34,532,651
Belgium
**
14,039,232
7,093,870
21,133,102
Straits and other British Colonies.
"
8,449.883
4,387,805 12,837,688
Italy
11
7,418,035
5,174,720 12,592,755
Macao
13
508,524
9,849,124 10,357,648
Dutch Indies...
>>
5,822,398
4,418,406
10,240,804
French Indo-China..
6,385,078
665,221
7,050,299
Siam, Phillippines, etc..
2,687,199
2,333,151
5,020,350
Korea
11
1,853,528
2,137,441 3,990,969
Netherlands
1,320,296
2,594,981 3,915,277
Other European Countries
Turkey, Persia, Egypt, Aden, etc. Austria and Hungary
1,278,023
2,086,819 3,364,842
**
112,448
2,977,820 3,090,208
**
1,136,828
1,081,665 2,218,493
474,693
903,192
428,499 Hk. Tls. 409,554,653 276,660,403 686,215,056
Imports to the amount of Hk. Tls. 13,447,364 were re-exported to foreign countries namely, to Russian Pacific Ports, Tls. 4,590,089; to Hongkong, Tls. 1,601,811; to Kore Tls. 3,292,582; to Great Britain, Tls. 1,488,715; to Japan, Tls. 1,682,936; to other countries Tls. 2,393,042. The chief articles re-exported were Cotton Goods to the value of Tls. 5,772,716, and Metals, Tls. 2,302,687.
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