322
PROSPECTS OF REFORM IN CHINA.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
are
October 28, 1896.
BRITISH TRADE WITH CHINA AND FOREIGN COMPETITION:
for
some important treaty obligations and with a view to establish precedents for erecting new barriers against Western encroach-
In the report on the foreign trade of China Although the system of administration in ment. Just as in Turkey, where the con- China is rotten to the core, and the fact is dition of affairs has drifted from bad to drawn up by Mr. GRANT DUFF, generally admitted, there seems not the worse, until the SULTAN's misgovernment is British Legation, two important
a scandal to the whole civilised world, so
are mentioned and are drawn remotest prospect of any change for the the jealousies of the Western Powers will tion to by Sir Claude MacDon better being introduced from within. So produce in China the progress downward of covering despatch. These are the employ- far from the party of reform (if the existence the mandarins until oppression and corrup- ment by British manufacturer of agent of of two or three officials who recognise the tion will possibly either bring about dis other nationalities, and the differential rates ruption or dismemberment. As we in- levied upon British trade by British chip- evils from which their country is suffering timated at the outset, there is little hope of owners to the advantage of foreign trade. can be so named) being strengthened by the improvement from within; is there, then, As to the first of these subjects, we may terrible lessons taught by the recent war, it any chance of reform from efforts outside regret that British manufacturers should would seem as if the party of corruption the Celestial Empire? If there is such a find it to their interest to employ were stronger than ever. The journey of chance we fancy it must be both remote and foreigners, but the only lesson to be drawn LI HUNG-CHANG, just completed, and the slender. That such a contingency exists from the fact is that Englishmen must interesting personality of the veteran, have we are reminded, however, by a statement qualify themselves for the positions by served to cast a fresh glamour over the lately made in the New York Herald. Ac education and training. Sir CLAUDE grand old contract jobber, increasing his cording to that journal a society has been MACDONALD says that during the short influence probably at the expense of the formed among the Chinese in the United time he has been at the Peking Legation he reformers. Li may talk glibly about im- States, which has for its object to prove to has had interviews with and has endeavoured to assist to the best of his ability the re- provements, and his desire to cover the the Chinese race that their backward con- Empire with a network of railways, but dition, through means of which they were presentatives of six world renowned British experience has shown that, beyond the defeated so disastrously by the Japanese in manufacturers and shipbuilding yards introduction of the iron road and the recon- the late war, is due to the shortcomings of these gentlemen, though apparently well struction of the shattered Chinese navy, their Government. The society proposes to qualified for their work, were all foreigners.
show that the Emperor of CHINA and his This is clearly not a case of the competition-- nothing in the shape of administrative re- form need be looked for as the fruit of his advisers keep the people in the thrall of ig. of cheap labour. The world renowned advocacy. He can understand and may norance lest, with awakened intelligence and manufacturers and shipbuilding yards-in sympathise with material improvements, greater education, there should arise among selecting gentlemen to represent them in such as the promotion of better means of the masses a spirit of freedom and a desire such important and delicate negotiations on at Peking communication and the acquisition of more for reform. The name of this society is as those to be carried formidable armaments; but he has, we said to be the Hung Chung Woey, and would naturally be prepared to pay
in New York. the best skill money could com- imagine, no sympathy with those who would its headquarters are endeavour to effect reform in the administra- The president is WALTER N. FONG, mand, and apparently foreigners best ful-
the requirements. The Minister s tion. Less conservative than some of his the first Chinese graduate of Standford filled countrymen, who cling fast to tradition and University, and the Herald says that does not tell us whether the representatives the classics, and whose parrot cry is, The his principal colleagues and advisers were gentlemen specially sent out from.
Chinese
from graduates
Yale, home or merchants already established in past has been glorious; let us perpetuate the past! he nevertheless has no desire to Harvard, and other "American universities China, but that is an immaterial point, the attempt to clean the Augean stable of cor- and colleges. This society may perhaps lesson being the same in either case. Eng. ruption existing in every official yamen in succeed, in the course of years, if sufficiently lishmen have never shown any reluctance to the land. Has he not, indeed, profited active, in stirring up a feeling of deep dis- avail themselves of the skill of the foreigner greatly from the same corruption, until he loyalty to the reigning dynasty, which is when there was any advantage to be gained from it, and the policy having been attended has become rich beyond the dreams of not unnaturally regarded by Chinese as avarice? Our hope certainly is not in LI responsible for the misfortunes and humilia- with results of substantial value, it is not HUNG-CHANG. Neither is it in the truculent tions that have lately overtaken the Flowery likely that it will be reversed and an exclu- SHENG Taotai, who has just been swaggering Land. But that it will be able to or- sivism adopted similar to that which hampers in Peking, where, probably by the judiciousganise a conspiracy sufficiently far-reaching the progress of some other countries. Eng- employment of some of his ill gotten gains, and powerful to overthrow the existing land draws to herself the best of the whole he has obtained promotion to the rank of a régime we do not for a moment believe, world, and long may she continue to do 20, Court official of the third grade, which, unless it joined forces with the Kolao | but none the less is it desirable that such and other secret circumstances as that mentioned by Sir according to etiquette, places the recipient Hui, White Lily, on an equality with the Governor of a societies in China. And it is hardly likely CLAUDE MACDONALD should be drawn province. It is stated by native reports there could be much sympathy between the attention to, in order that our own country that the EMPEROR was so pleased with very dubious societies named and the men may be stimulated to qualify them- the intelligence displayed by SHENG patriotic body formed in America from selves so as to be able to dispense with the during the audience accorded to him by among the most enlightened Chinese resid-services of foreigners. In illustration of His Majesty that this new mark of Imperial eats there. The Imperial Government is weak the advantage of employing foreigners, favour was bestowed upon him, but it is enough when there is any occasion to appeal however, where they have any hardly likely that his intelligence would to it for intervention on behalf of foreigners, sell that cannot be purchased at home, have won the distinction for him had not the and weak, too, when menaced by a powerful we might point to the iron and steel Thotai been bled very freely at the Anting foe from without the gates; but vis-a-vis an industry; amongst the pioneers. -and Gate. It is this stamp of men who still insurrection, it becomes strong and com- scientific discoverers whose names are iden- The mandarins are tified with the modern development of this enjoy most favour at Peking, and with paratively vigorous. whom the foreign merchants will have to quickly alive to a danger threatening their great branch of our national industry those deal in the future. What hope is there of cherished right to govern wrongly, and of Germans occupy a prominent place. "It any scheme of administrative reform being muster their forces energetically to resist should be noted, too, that these gentlemen, inaugurated, or, if inaugurated, what chance attack. The Government possess resources though foreigners to begin with, generally very well ended by becoming naturalised British. is there of its succeeding, when the highest which it would require a
to defeat, and few subjects. officials exist mainly to squeeze trade and organised revolt
either effectively
As to the second point me harass the honest trader?
political risings are organised or well provided with funds. discrimination practised by There is at the moment very slight hope for owners against trade to or from the regeneration of China; it will take a Sir CLAUDE MACDONALD is pretty fair number of reformers to leaven solated on the terse and incisive huge a lump; and the friends of progress which he deals with the
"GRANT DUFF also alludes to t must be content to wait with patience, oft renewed, for any great improvement in “freights charged to Bri
foreign ports greatly the condition of the people of the Central" foreign po
the
tter it bein Kingdom. At the same. time, we must
"merchandise to Hamb gladly allow that even China moves, though
Odessa than to London, though t it is difficult to note the progress made; it
often go to Hamburg via London, is so small.
The fact that there seems a sort of tacit agreement amongst the Treaty Powers to prevent interference with China by any one of their number will tend still further to crystallise into obstinate resistance to all change the passive apathy of the manda- rin. The present attitude of the Powers towards China is certainly not calculated to influence her in the direction of reform, for the Taungli Yamen will be encouraged re than ever to pit one Western Power against another, in the hope of getting out of
skill to
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