Research On Jing Xueqian's Salt Reform Thought (1912-1937)

Jing Xueqian was an important salt reformer and social activist in the early years of the Republic of China.In the early days of the Republic of China,the old-fashioned system of the country in the salt field was broken through by many places,and the sovereignty of salt administration was in jeopardy in the context of external borrowing.Jing Xueqian grew up on the coast of Zhejiang province.Since childhood,because of knowing the fishermen have been suffering from exploitation in the old system,he decided to reform salt ahministration system in his youth.The spread of salt management ideas from the West and Japan provided theoretical references for reformists such as Jing Xueqian.Jing started in the field of salt reform and began to make friends with Zhang Jian.In the early stage of the development of his reform thoughts,Jing drafted the "Reform of the National Salt Policy",and cooperated with Zhang Jian to propose the salt market administration with the "civil making,official storage,commercial transportation,and civilian saling" as the core of reform thoughts.Encouraged by Zhang Jian,Jing opened up a reform path to establish his opinion on the salt management by establishing a public opinion position and using the public opinion power of the Journal of Salt Administration to argue with the opposition.In view of the fact that the salt administration sovereignty is often infringed by the auditors and the central salt administration authorities cannot effectively govern the localities because of the unclear definition,Jing also proposed the unified theory of the salt administration,and strived to establish a unified and independent salt administration.As the reform plan was opposed by the old salt merchants,and the old bureaucrats such as Zhou Xuexi were obstructed,and the reformist’s plan for salt reform was difficult to unify.These resistances made it difficult for Jing’s preliminary ideas on salt reform to be put into practice.Therefore,Jing’s thoughts on the reform of salt management have also changed.He shifted the focus of reform from salt administration to salt industry,and he worked hard to establish Jiuda Salt Company in cooperation with Fan Xudong,and achieved great success in management,forming a reform idea to promote refined salt.After the objective political environment was transferred from the national unity to the warlord,the conditions for the implementation of the monopoly on the spot were no longer available.At the same time,the thought and practice of Dean in the field of salt reform,who was the foreign assistant manager of the Salt Audit Office,gradually gained Jing’s appreciation.Therefore,in the aspect of the leadership thought of salt administration reform,Jing switched from the earlier idea of monopoly to support more thorough taxation ideas on the spot,and on this basis participated in the drafting of a new salt law.The passage of the new salt law has become the most remarkable achievement of Jing since he entered the salt reform business.The new salt law reflects the great change of Jing’s legislative principle from the idea of selling monopoly to the idea of taxation on the spot,but it highlights the authority of the salt administration,safeguards the interests of the domestic merchants,pays attention to the people’s livelihood in the salt field.and strictly divides The authority of the salt administration and the emphasis on the setting of the private sector have shown the continuation and development of their personal salt reform ideas.After the publication of the new salt law,Jing had not stopped fighting,but continued to make unremitting efforts for the real implementation of the new salt law.Despite the beginning of the Anti-Japanese War,the National Government implemented a unified economic policy and implemented a full-fledged monopoly in the salt field.Jing’s salt reform goal was lot finalized,but he still had indelible historical contribution in the development of the salt reform business and the sperm salt industry.His arduous reform process and the unswerving reform spirit are valuable spiritual wealth in the history of salt development of China.