The Changes Of Qing Government's Policy On Labor After The Opium War

Before the First Opium War, because of close-door nature of "natural economic" and defend against some revolting powers abroad, "forbidding" is the traditional labor policy of Qing dynasty. But the forbidding policy could not be executed strictly because of series politic and economic reasons.After the First Opium War, with foreigners obtained the consular jurisdiction and treaty ports were opened, illegal labor trade was more and more unbridled. It even influenced the normal trade seriously. Foreigners recognized gradually that the legalization of labor trade was the fundamental channel to resolve the problem.The Second Opium War gave foreigners a best moment to realize their demand. The temporary office in Guangzhou formed by English and France forced the local governor Bai Gui to admit the legalization of labor trade around Guangzhou city. Several months later, they compelled the new governor-general Lao Chongguang to confirm the Bai Gui's policy again. Obviously, the labor trade limited in Guangzhou only could not satisfy foreigners' need. Quickly, they obtained the right of labor trade in every treaty port in China by taking advantage of the chance of signing "Beijing treaty".In the seventies of the 19th century, exclude Chinese labor campaign was fist break out in American because of economic crisis and domestic factional strife. American Congress past a series of Chinese exclusion acts in succession. About these acts, Qing government negotiated with American and paid attention to protect Chinese labors' rights and interests. Especially many Qing government's ministers resident abroad made enormous efforts in this respect.In a word, the labor policy of Qing government after the First Opium War is an evolution process from prohibits, tacit, legalization to support and protect.