기선(汽船)의 내지(內地) 진출과 청말(淸末)의 양선(洋船) 정책 - 19세기 말 프랑스 소형기선(小型汽船)의 내지항행(內地航行) 논쟁을 중심으로 = Inland Navigation of Steamers and the Policy of Foreign Vessels at the Late Qing Dynasty: Focusing on Inland Navigation of the French Small Steamers

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This research aims to analyze Qing Government’s response to the inland navigation of the foreign vessels in the late Qing Dynasty, focusing on the debate between the French Minister, the Tsungli Yamên and the Shanghai Authorities over the inland navigation of the small steamers in the mid-1860s. In the new phase of opening of treaty ports following the signing of the treaty with the West at the end of the 19th century, the Qing government responded by banning foreign vessels from access to non-treaty ports, that is the interior(內地). After the signing of the Treaties of the Tientsin(1858) and Peking(1860), the Tsungli Yamên of Peking once again prohibited access and trade to the interior of foreign vessels. In other words, foreign vessels including steamer could trade only through treaty ports.
In 1865, when French Minister Henri de Bellonet requested permission for the French small steamers to sail inland, the Tsungli Yamên expressed concern about the crash and euphemistically opposed it. In close cooperation with the Shanghai Authorities, including the Superintendent of Southern ports, Li Hung-chang, the Tsungli Yamên sought to maintain a ban on the inland navigation of steamers. The Shanghai Authorities considered it to be a major issue directly related to the National tax revenue(國家稅釐) and livelihood of the native vessels(商民生計).
But the French Minister also did not back down calling for the inland navigation of steamers, citing treaty provisions, the French case, and native merchant interests of business of foreign vessels. However, the Zeng Guo-fan, who succeeded Li Hong-chang in the Superintendent of Southern ports, opposed the inland navigation of steamers, citing the livelihood of the people living as the business of native vessels and eventually it was not allowed to do so amid constant opposition from the Peking Government and the Shanghai Authorities. At first glance, Qing China, which had been closed until then, seems to be finally open to the West. However, the Qing Government took the policy of binding the foreign vessels to the treaty ports, so the treaty ports have the meaning as the place where restrictions on the trade of foreign vessels are enforced.