An Analysis Of YUEYANG Self-established Trading Port

After the defeat in Sino-Japanese War, the Qing government was seized by the financial constraints and domestic public opinion. In one hand, the government wanted to increase the revenues to pay off the war indemnity; on the other hand, the nationalism of people was stimulated by the defeat in Sino-Japanese War. It was in this circumstance that the idea of Trade War, proposed by Zheng Guanying, increasingly became popular among a part of rulers and wise men. The word "Self-established Trading Port" had begun to appear frequently. Until June1898, during the Wu-Xu Reform Movement,"Self-established Trading Port " became a formal policy implemented in the whole country. In order to increase the fiscal revenue and to protect herself sovereignty, Qing government opened a group of ports by herself.YUEYANG, in Hunan Province, was one of the first open ports and its opening reason and the process were very typical. To pay off the war indemnity of Sino-Japanese war, Qing government had borrowed money from the UK. The UK was pleased to do on the condition of opening Xiangtan in Hunan. After demanding negotiation among Qing Government, local officials and UK, YUEYANG, instead of Xiangtan, was the open port in Hunan. For the British, it did open the north gate of Hunan Province for their interests, though it was not Xiangtan. For local officials, they finally "defended" their provincial center--Xiangtan, and the opening of YUEYANG, which was located in the northeast of the Province and separated by Dongting Lake, had little impact on the center of Hunan. Qing government was pleased to see this result because she would not be against the British, nor anger Hunan local people, and moreover opening of YUEYANG could avoid the imperialism intrusion into the inland. This compromise of three parties, made YUEYANG Port developed successfully.The constitution and administrative agencies of YUEYANG Port followed those treaty ports, but with different nature. Due to the sovereignty of Qing Government, there were some improvement on its constitution and administrative agencies, which offered experience for other opening ports.The Self-established Trading Port, represented by YUEYANG, didn’t change China trade condition controlled by Westerners and also failed to save the dying of the Qing dynasty, but it was a beneficial attempt for the society.After its opening, YUEYANG, as an important transit port of the Yangtze River, its import and export trade has developed rapidly as well as the local economy. It is the change of the society behind the economic development. YUEYANG’s opening has a great impact on YUEYANG, even on the society, economy and culture of Hunan province.