Foreign Financial Control in China

Owing to the fact that the Chinese were not permitted by a Christian nation to abolish the infamous opium traffic because it was a very lucrative one, and owing to the humiliation of their defeat and of the Treaty of Nanking, which has " inflicted a deep wound in the pride, but by no means altered the policy of the Chinese Government," 8 and last, but not least, owing to the conservative and even stubborn disinclination on the side of the Chinese to treat other nations on terms of equality, relations between China and other Powers, and especially with Great Britain, continued unstable. The Chinese view of the treaty was in marked contrast to its terms. China had signed it reluctantly and merely to stop the incursions of the British in her realms, and, having obtained her aim, she made no attempt to abide by its provisions. Thus the period following the Treaty was filled with further disturbances and difficulties in the relations, the principal complaint being that charges still were suddenly and See Alexis Krausse, " The Far East," page 36. arbitrarily imposed by the provincial officials in spite oi the treaty stipulations. But on the other hand, the reports and opinions of consuls drawn up for the benefit of Lord Elgin show plainly that many elements of disturbance were also to be found within the European settlements, and that in the matter of observance of treaties the Chinese were far from being the only offenders.9 To quote Sargent10 : " Foreign mer...