Research On The Five Imperial Commissioners Investigating-abroad In The Late Qing Dynasty

On July 16,1905,the Qing government promulgated an imperial edict to send a mission investigating policy abroad,marking the Qing government had taken a key step in the implementation of constitutionalism,which was the starting point of the Qing government's political reform.The edict triggered widespread attention at home and abroad.Domestic public opinion generally welcomed and regarded it as a sign of the Qing government turning to a constitutional Government,and having made various suggestions.Foreign public opinion regarded it showing the Qing government's new atmosphere of reform.At the same time,the mission took place after the Russo-Japanese War,the foreign public opinion also wonder its purpose was participating in the Russo-Japanese discussion.The Qing government attaches great importance to the preparation of the mission especially the attaches selection and financing which exceeded the previous specifications.The mission came with dozens of attaches,most of them were elite of that times and many had studied abroad.The fund of the mission was raised by the provinces which generally had positive attitude,however,their attitude changed when remitted their identified money.August 26(September 24),the mission started their trip at the Zhengyangmen stations,where WuYue attemptted to assassinate the five commissioners.The incident led to extensive comments.In general,the public opinion gave more sympathy to Qing government but the revolutionaries were subjected to opinion criticism.After the incident,almost all the commissioners and attaches have taken place psychologically fluctuations,also the mission therefore recomposed.After another long time'preparation,with the public opinion's repeated urge,the two-way missions began their road again.One mission headed by ZaiZe,ShangQiheng and LiSheng Duo which mainly investigated Japan,Britain,France and Belgium.Their examination method combined invited political experts giving lectures and site visits,focusing on the political system,public utilities,enterprises and social utilities.The other mission headed by DuanFang and DaiHongci which mainly investigated the United States,Germany,Austria, Russia and Italy.Their main examination method was taking wide spectrum site visits in order to study political systems,culture,education,enterprises,social utilities,etc.For the purpose of negotiating political views,the two-way missions decided to meet in Switzerland,and finally met in Belgium.Chinese embassies had the reception responsibility,who actively in touch with foreign governments determining the programs and itinerary of investigating. Overseas students of China who were inclined to constitutionalism gave the mission very warm welcome. They offered their proposals to the mission, also a small number of students added to the mission to assist investigation. Foreign governments generally gave warm welcome to the mission's arrival and sent director helping the mission. Also the foreign public opinion watched to see the mission's tour. From the perspective of China-Foreign relationship, this mission strengthened China's diplomatic environment and showed China's reform image. The domestic public opinion gave the mission high ecpectation during its visit abroad. As the constitutional party and part of the government officials form a kind of resonance in constitutionalism, so the revolutionary party did have a concern that if the Qing government was really able to implement constitutionalism, the revolution will be difficult to launch. So the revolutionary party spared no effort to expose hypocrisy of the Qing government'political reform and the mission became the one of the most important target. When the mission returned, the commissioners and their attaches compiled books and memorials which expressed their political opinions. Their key point was China should follow the example of Japan's constitutional monarchy, also should imitate Japan taking bureaucracy reform as the first step of constitutional reform. Undoubtedly, these suggestions were essentially adopted by Qing government. After the mission'return, Qing government promulgated an edict which determined constitutional reform as national policy. In this sense, the mission's return its mission should be said to be completed.