Taotai Of Customs In Tianjin In Later Qing Dynasty,

In later Qing Dynasty, a lot of treaty ports had to be opened for trade with the invasion by Western imperialist powers. In order to adapt new situation, the treaty ports usually authorized Taotai to perform the duties about customs business and negotiation. The person, who was responsible to manage customs, was usually named Taotai of customs. Taotai of customs was part-time of local official instead of full-time. With the establishing of foreign tax system, Qing Dynasty adjusted the organizational structure and personnel system of Taotai. It declared new treaty ports must be set up tax department and arranged Taotai of customs. Thus, the system of Taotai of customs was formed officially.In order to cope with the shock from the building of Tianjin treaty ports, Qing Dynasty set up the minister in charge of trading business and negotiation about three ports at the tenth years of Emperor Xianfeng(1860). Because of the limit for the duty from Qing Dynasty, the minister had to face more constraints. In the ninth year of Tongzhi(1870), the case in Tianjin break out. Chonghou, the minister in charge of trading business and negotiation in Tianjin could not do anything about it and was condemned commonly by the central government and people.Tianjin was an important strategic point. The case in Tianjin shocked Qing Dynasty. As the governor of Zhili, Zengguofan and Li Hongzhang decided to recombine recombine the of Tianjin, build up new order and prevent the new conflict between Chinese and Foreign. At the arrangement of Zengguofan, Maochangxi and Li Hongzhang, the central government decided to cancel the minister in charge of trading business and negotiation and handed its power to the governor of Zhili. The governor of Zhili also served as the minister and imperial commissioner. He set up Taotai of customs to in charge of customs business and negotiation. Taotai of customs in Tianjin became a special example because the custom business and negotiation were stripped from Taotai of Tianjin and was in charge of the governor of Zhili and Taotai of customs in Tianjin. The former single system became vertical and double system.From the ninth year of Tongzhi(1870) to the Twenty-one year of Guangxu(1895), Lihongzhang had occupied in the governor of Zhili for25years. New prospects of national and international relations had been opened up in external work from Lihongzhang’s assuming office. Tianjin became the original place of industry, Post, railway, education, shipping, telegram, telephone and the center of diplomatic relations and foreign business step by step in Chinese modern history. Taotai of customs in Tianjin became right hand man of the governor of Zhili in foreign business. In the situation that a lot of officers were afraid of foreign business, Taotai of customs in Tianjin formed the style of foreign negotiations, such as deeply in earnest, remaining unchanged, keep his promise, mindful of the overall, neither haughty nor humble, and was praised by Chinese and foreigners. Taotai of customs in Tianjin also became the right-hand man of Lihongzhang in foreign business.After the Jiawu War, Lihongzhang had to leave his job. On the other hand, the task of foreign negotiations became heave and heave. After the International Protocol of1901, Taotai of customs in Tianjin went out of New Deal Modernization and became itself. In the tide of the reform of the official system of local government, every province set up officer to manage foreign negotiations. Therefore, Taotai of customs in Tianjin had to give up the duty of foreign negotiations and manage Tianjin customs specially.In general, accompanied by western invasion, Qing Dynasty experienced the course of no right to deal with foreign negotiations to set up External Affairs and systems. Taotai of customs in Tianjin is the witness of foreign policy in Chinese modern history. Compared with traditional officers, Taotai of customs in Tianjin devoted themselve to deal with foreign negotiations and the New Deal, made up and shorten the gap between Chinese and foreigners. They were the pioneer of Chinese new officers.