A Study Of Local External Negotiations In Hankow In The Early Republican Period(1913-1926)

As one of the most important cities in modern China,Hankow attracted a large number of foreigners to settle there,and the establishment of the five concessions linked the Hankow people closely to the foreigners,making the conflicts between the Chinese and the foreigners increasingly complicated,so the Hankow authorities had to frequently negotiate with foreign consuls.In the early Republican period,local diplomatic affairs in Hankow were handled by the Hubei Negotiation Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.This paper discusses the establishment,organization,and functions of the Hubei Negotiation Office,and the personnel changes and qualifications of the diplomats,as well as the supervisor of the Hankow who also served as a special diplomat.Based on the case of Tian Zhongxiang,this article examines the general procedures of local diplomacy in Hankow,to explore the role played by the local negotiation system which was established by the Beiyang government in the local external negotiations in Hankow.The local negotiation system ensured the orderly conduct of local diplomacy,but in different types of local external negotiations,different factors played a dominant role:In the case of civil disputes between Chinese and foreigners,consular jurisdiction played a major role.In the case of sovereignty negotiations,either the negotiations are controlled by local political forces,resulting in the loss of local sovereignty,or the localities evade difficult issues and directly transfer them to the central government.In the case of negotiations triggered by local popular movements and social trends,the public opinion is the main force in the process of local external negotiations.Through macro and micro analyses of various local negotiations,it is worth to point out that public opinion is always taking part in it.The expression of public opinion in local external negotiations has its own demands and channels,and it is also hampered by many obstacles.However,it is not entirely neglected,but is showing a development from weakness to strength.In other words,as local people’s awareness of participating in local negotiations grows,the voice of public opinion continues to expand,gradually becoming a major force that influences local external negotiations.