CHINA
539
Year. Average Exchange.
Imports.
Exports.
S.
d.
Hk. Tls.
£
Hk. Tls.
£
1900 . 1901
3
...
R
11
223,791,888
34,734,365
158,996,752 24,677,621
2
11
...
...
...
280,472,693
41,559,625
169,656,757
25,139,243
1902 1903
1904 1905 1906 1907
1908 1909 1910 1911
1912 1913 1914 1915
...
...
...
...
...
...
2
...
7/
335,601,739
43,628,226
214,181,584
27,843,605.
2
7
2
102
3
0,10
3
...
...
3
3
3
...
2
8
...
...
2
...
2
...
3
...
...
...
343,300,115 45,296,542 348,603,090 49,966,442 458,340,485 68,942,047 414,184,061 68,167,793 422,838,531 68,711,261 396,261,991 52,834,931 417,586,237 54,264,460 462,437,260 62,260,433 473,517,685 63,628,938 377,338,166 50,700,286. 471,809,192 72,000,048 370,520,403
214,352,467 28,282,616 239,486,683 34,326,424 227,888,197 34,278,183. 236,456,739 38,916,838 264,380,697 42,961,863 276,660,403 36,888,053 338,392,814 380,833,328
44,051,410
51,273,653
56,544,517
3
...
...
...
570,064,696
86,103,508
403,305,546
60,915,191
2
81
...
...
546,425,219
74,564,285
345,280,874
47,116,943,
...
1916
3
...
...
1917
133
7
454,475,719
58,939,820
418,861,164
54,321,457
31
516,406,995
86,767,390
481,797,366 78,820,556
...
313
549,518,774
118,633,090
462,931,630
1918
31%
554,893,082
146,670,958
1919
6
1920
6 91
...
...
1921
3
11
...
1922
3
9
1923
3
...
52
1924 1925
3
646,997,681 204,882,600 762,250,230 258,847,474 906,122,439 179,100,763 945,049,650 177,196,809 923,402,887 160,633,627 718 1,018,210,677 183,441,015
99,940,188 485,883,031 128,430,019 630,809,411 199,756,313. 541,631,300 183,928,963 601,255,537 118,841,915. 654,891,933 122,792,237
752,917,416
130,976,259,
771,784,468
142,947,825
3
L
...
53 947,864,944
165,876,365
776,352,937
135,859,262
It will be observed in this table that an increase in silver values does not always mean an increase in trade when measured in sterling.
HISTORICAL
The year 1900 will ever be memorable in the history of China for the "Boxer" rising. Details of this great social and political upheaval may be found in preceding volumes of this Directory. The object of the rising, which was confined to the North, was the extermination of foreign native Christians and people known to be associated with foreigners. The Legation Quarter at Peking was besieged for two months by the Boxer rabble and the Imperial troops, the occupants being reduced to the verge of starvation. Troops were poured into China by all the European Powers, America and Japan, and it was not before 20,000 foreign troops had fought their way to the capital that the siege was raised. Over 250 Europeans were murdered during the rising, and it was estimated that over 10,000 natives perished, most of them being Christians or the kinsmen of Christians.
In November, 1908, occurred the death of the Emperor Kwang Hsu, followed a day later by the death of the Empress Dowager Tzu Hsi. This news was unexpected, and there was consequently much suspicion for a time regarding the cause of the dual demise. The public were soon satisfied, however, that the deaths were due to perfectly natural causes. Dying childless, the late Emperor Kwang Hsu, acting in obedience to "the benign mandate" of the Empress Dowager Tzu Hsi, designated as he lay dying. a son of Prince Ch'un, his brother, as his successor to the Throne. At the time of his accession the new sovereign was barely three years of age, and Prince Ch'un was ap- pointed to act as Regent during the Sovereign's minority. The events of the past ten years had convinced Tzu Hsi, who had been the virtual ruler since 1895, that the salvation of the country lay in a complete reformation of the Government. Accordingly, from being a reactionary of the worst type, she changed to an ardent advocate of reform. She promised the nation constitutional government and took steps to initiate the change. In her valedictory address she directed that the occupant of the Throne should fulfil the promises she had made, and the opening of the new reign was marked by a succession of Reform Edicts giving promise of the fulfilment, at last, of the long-cherished hopes for the country's regeneration. Scarcely two years had passed, however, before the country was swept by a revolution vastly different in its purpose from the abortive Boxer rising just eleven years previously. It developed as if by
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