19.—Three-fourths of the entire foreign trade of China fell, last year, to the share of the British Empire, or more, by three million taels, than that done by the entire Continent of Europe and the United States of America. The trade with the United Kingdom, including that passing through Hong Kong, exceeded £15,000,000.
The Commissioners of Customs at Tientsin, Newchwang, Ningpo, and other treaty ports, all speak of "the increased demand for British goods," in spite of much distress last year, owing to floods in many places; and while Shanghai reports that "German figures fall off decidedly," the Commissioner at Kinkiang states that "the British and Chinese had all the trade to themselves."
British Shipping in Chinese Waters.
20.—This fortunate state of affairs is strikingly illustrated by the British shipping in Chinese waters. The red ensign of England, which appeared on the first steamer in the Yellow Sea, in 1830, floated in 1890 upon 16,897 of the 20,530 foreign vessels which entered and cleared at Chinese ports, while the British tonnage amounted to 8/9ths of the whole.
Our next competitors were the Germans, with whom we have so much in common, and who are sparing no effort to develop their China trade. They entered and cleared 2140 vessels last year, or 622 fewer than in 1888, with a diminution of 227,000 tons burthen.
A good proportion of the coast-carrying trade was also done by British-built steamers, carrying the dragon flag, and wholly owned by Chinese merchants. But, with very few exceptions, insurance companies and underwriters insist upon such vessels being commanded and officered by British or Americans. Besides this, the majority of the pilots on the Peiho and other rivers are British, a state of affairs pointing to the necessity of nothing being omitted by the Board of Trade to afford every possible facility to the merchant marine to acquire the technical knowledge necessary to maintain this world-wide reputation of the English for superior nautical skill.
Preponderance of British Interests.
21.—These facts show the enormous preponderance of British interests in China,—a condition of things existing also in Japan,—not only over those of the whole world, but especially as regards those of France, Germany, Russia, or any other European power.
They are corroborated by the establishment in China of 327 British firms, or double the number of the mercantile houses of every other nation, and by the residence at the treaty ports of over 3300 British subjects, out of a total foreign population of about 8000.
Germany comes next with 80 firms and 640 residents; following her, America, with 32 firms; and then France, with 19 firms and 590 persons.