Historical Studies (Chinese Edition)

No.5, 2013

 

Changing Thinking about Treaty Relations in the Late Qing          

(Abstract)

 

Li Yumin

 

In the late Qing period, under intense pressure from foreign powers, the Qing government's thinking about international treaties underwent a process of change. They finally gave up traditional ideas of sworn alliances, and shifted from the Confucian belief that "Treaties signed under duress are not binding" to accepting the idea of "using treaties as a basis", and from the traditional approach of "winning over foreigners through conciliation" to that of "pursuing win-win results". The Qing gradually realized the importance of international law and began to "make it a guideline"; furthermore, the government was thinking of taking the initiative to retrieve national rights and interests through "preparations for treaty revision", instead of "letting things take their course". The idea of treaty relations was taking shape, and ideas about and awareness of the outside world changed substantially. But due to the government’s lack of determination and the absence of any idea of annulling the treaties or any plans for overall treaty revision, and since, in addition, they were still restrained by traditional ideas, their efforts to retrieve China’s national rights and interests came to naught.