The Research On Foreign Trade Of Xiamen (1862-1911)

As a natural harbor, Xiamen has the advantage of developing foreign trade, especially after the medium and later period of Ming dynasty, Xiamen became an important port of doing foreign trade, with the development of marine trade along the southeast coastal areas. The period between the last years of Ming dynasty and Opium War, the foreign trade experienced the stage of growing up, developing, being interrupted thriving and declining. Opium War is the water-shed of foreign trade of Xiamen between ancient times and modern times. Xiamen became one of the five ports having trade relationship in 1842, and the foreign trade of Xiamen begins the transformation of modernization. The establishment of Xiamen Customs in 1862 marked that the foreign trade of Xiamen in modern times began the new period of ordered management and development. After 1862, Xiamen Customs was managed by foreign fiscal system and began the last fifty years in Qing dynasty. The dissertation discussed many aspects of Xiamen foreign trade in the fifty years, including the turnover of commodity, composition of exports and imports, trade partners and conditions of shipping, etc. The author wants to restore to the dynamic process of the foreign trade of Xiamen in that time through the analysis of the factors of foreign trade, and investigate the relationship between the foreign trade of Xiamen and the economical development of Xiamen and vicinity. Summarizing the historical experiences and using a source of reference for reform and opening-up of Xiamen now, and promote the development of foreign trade.To introduce the historical conditions of the foreign trade of Xiamen and some related questions systematically, the author based on the statistical year book of the trade of Xiamen Customs and the trade report yearly, reviewing the academic research in the field and using the method of lengthwise and horizontal line to investigate the questions below:Introduction, Discourse the results and present situation of the research project, and points out the objective and significance of the project.Chapter one, Doing research on the natural condition of Xiamen developing foreign trade, reviewing the foreign trade of Xiamen in ancient times and the period during 1842-1862, and discuss western countries impose sanctions to the foreign trade of Xiamen.Chapter two, Discuss the turnover of Xiamen commodity from the year of 1862 to 1911, introduce the composition of exports and imports and its variation, and the condition of several commodities.Chapter three, Expound the partner and conditions of shipping about the foreign trade of Xiamen.Conclusion, Discuss the influence that the foreign trade of Xiamen in modern times do to the development of Xiamen and vicinity.