| On July 28,1914,World War Ⅰ broke out,and on August 6,the Beijing government of the Republic of China declared neutrality and issued the "Regulations on Outside Neutrality".Until the declaration of war on Germany on August 14,1917,the "Regulations on Outside Neutrality" remained the legal basis for the Beijing government to maintain neutrality.The formulation and distribution of the "Outside Neutrality Regulations",the specific content of the "Outside Neutrality Regulations",the specific implementation process and effectiveness of the "Outside Neutrality Regulations",reflect the efforts of the Beijing government to maintain national interests through modern diplomatic means.Modern diplomatic means refer to safeguarding national interests by respecting and utilizing treaties and regulations recognized by the international community.Before the outbreak of World War Ⅰ,the Beijing government only joined the international conventions that neutral countries should abide by,and did not join the international conventions that belligerent countries should abide by.Developing the "Regulations on External Neutrality" was a priority choice for the Beijing government while respecting international conventions.After the outbreak of World War Ⅰ,the scale of the war continued to expand.The Beijing government,in accordance with international law,controlled the armed forces of the belligerent countries stationed in China by formulating the "Regulations on Neutrality Outside".After the declaration of neutrality,the "Regulations on Outside Neutrality" were distributed to the Political Affairs Hall,the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,the Ministry of Ⅰnternal Affairs,the Ministry of Transport,provincial governors,diplomatic envoys,and foreign envoys stationed in Beijing in accordance with international law.The formulation and distribution of the "Regulations on External Neutrality" reflect the Beijing government’s efforts to safeguard national interests by respecting and utilizing internationally recognized treaties and regulations.The "Regulations on Outside Neutrality" have a total of 24 articles,and Article 24 is a supplement to matters not covered by this regulation.The first 14 articles belong to international law in nature and stipulate the rights and obligations between China and belligerent states.Articles 15 to 23 are domestic laws in nature and stipulate the rights and obligations between the Chinese government,its own people,and foreign nationals in its own territory.It basically conforms to the basic principles stipulated in international conventions such as the Treaty on the Rights and Obligations of Neutral States during Naval Warfare and the Treaty on the Rights and Obligations of Neutral States and Their Peoples during Land Warfare.In addition,the "Outside Neutrality Regulations" also takes into account the potential impact of unequal treaties signed between China and other countries on the implementation of the regulations.The specific content of the "Regulations on External Neutrality" reflects that the Beijing government upholds national interests by respecting and utilizing treaties and regulations recognized by the international community.When dealing with incidents of violating neutrality,the Beijing government basically follows the provisions of the "Regulations on Outside Neutrality" and punishes relevant countries for violating neutrality.The "Regulations on External Neutrality" to a certain extent played a legal role in restricting the activities of belligerents in China and maintaining domestic order and stability.Dealing with violations of neutrality in accordance with the "Regulations on Outside Neutrality" reflects that the Beijing government upholds national interests by respecting and utilizing treaties and regulations recognized by the international community. |
