LiHong-zhang And The Negotiation Of The Margary Affair

The Margary Affair was an important event in modern Chinese history. Negotiation of The Margary Affair and signature of Yantai treaty have aroused general concern in the academic circles. This article based on the previous achievements in relative research by predecessors, tries to delve further into the details of Li Hongzhang and negotiation of The Margary Affair. The main contents of the paper are as follows: promulgating the four couple of contradictions manifeseted in the negotiation such as the contradiction between Thomas Francis Wade and the British Diplomatic Department as well as the India government, between Wade and Robert Hart, between Britain and the other Great Powers, the divergence between Li Hongzhang and Zongliyamen to analyse these four couple of contradictions' influence on the process and final result of the negotiation; analysing Li Hongzhang's role transformation in the negotiation from active concern to negotiating in Tianjin on behalf of the empire to signing the treaty in Yantai as the plenipotentiary, to illustrate that Li Hongzhang always play a passive part to save the situation after disruption of the diplomatic negotiation between Wade and Zongliyamen. In the last, the paper points out that besides the above-mentionedly specified element of role, Wade's craftiness together with Qing government's inappropriate tactics because of backwardly diplomatic means and outmodedly diplomatic thoughts were the main cause which leaded to Li Hongzhang's compromise in the negotiation, moreover, being frustrated in getting to know Wade's real intention is one of the reasons. At the same time, Li Hongzhang's diplomatic means and diplomatic understanding such as actively taking advantage of the Great Powers' mediation, advocatiag observing the treaties, actively appraising the affect of treaty ports embodied in the negotiation exerted definite influence on his diplomatic exercise in future and even the whole of modern diplomacy.