A Textual Research on the Concession/ Settlement Policy of Burlingame
Anson Burlingame, as American minister to China 1861-1867, called for the great powers to consult and co-operate upon Chinese questions, and one of the most important themes of the so called “co-operate policy” was to guarantee the territorial integrity of the Chinese empire, which was in connection with the “concession/settlement” in the treaty ports in China. Burlingame proposed to keep the “non-concession doctrine”. But now, there is a misunderstanding of his “non-concession doctrine” in the Chinese scholars. By textual research of the historical documents, it would be clear that the American policy of concession/settlement, especially Burlingame’s policy, didn’t mean to oppose the establishing of concession/settlement in China. What Burlingame opposed, was the trend that some foreigners viewed the “concession” as “a quasi territorial concession” of their own country, argued for interfering with the jurisdiction of the Chinese government over its own people, and asked for or took concessions of territory in the treaty ports of China. Briefly, Anson Burlingame objected to the “concession doctrine” but not the “concession/settlement”, and the former meant the transfer of the territorial sovereignty in some way but the latter didn’t.
Keywords: United States of America; Anson Burlingame; shanghai; settlement/concession; concession doctrine
Anson Burlingame, as American minister to China 1861-1867, called for the great powers to consult and co-operate upon Chinese questions, and one of the most important themes of the so called “co-operate policy” was to guarantee the territorial integrity of the Chinese empire, which was in connection with the “concession/settlement” in the treaty ports in China. Burlingame proposed to keep the “non-concession doctrine”. But now, there is a misunderstanding of his “non-concession doctrine” in the Chinese scholars. By textual research of the historical documents, it would be clear that the American policy of concession/settlement, especially Burlingame’s policy, didn’t mean to oppose the establishing of concession/settlement in China. What Burlingame opposed, was the trend that some foreigners viewed the “concession” as “a quasi territorial concession” of their own country, argued for interfering with the jurisdiction of the Chinese government over its own people, and asked for or took concessions of territory in the treaty ports of China. Briefly, Anson Burlingame objected to the “concession doctrine” but not the “concession/settlement”, and the former meant the transfer of the territorial sovereignty in some way but the latter didn’t.
Keywords: United States of America; Anson Burlingame; shanghai; settlement/concession; concession doctrine