From Tribute To Early Treaty Negotiation:The Transition Of The Sino-Siamese Relations(1782-1914)

Sino-Siamese relations changed from traditional tributary relations to modern diplomacy during 1782-1914.It is necessary for us to analyze the transition process through which we can gain a clear idea of the relations,and provide reference for the China-Thailand relations and China-Southeast Asian relations at present.Since the establishment of Bangkok Dynasty in 1782,Rama I sent envoys to Qing court persistently,which made Sino-Siamese traditional tributary relations continue and develop unceasingly.Hereafter,up till the pre-Opium War,Rama II and Rama ? followed faithfully and industriously to keep tributary relations,never changed.Nevertheless,after the Opium War,the Sino-Siamese tributary relations were faced with transition and began to estrange and decay.In June 1853,the last envoy was robbed in Henan Province.Less than two years after the accident,the Bowring Treaty was signed and then Siam's door was opened by Western Powers.At the same time,King Mongkut(Rama IV)also changed his attitudes about Sino-Siamese relations.Based on this situation,the Sino-Siamese tributary relations were interrupted.Facing with asking tribute several times by the local official in Guangdong and Fujian during 1862-1888,Siam took ambiguous delaying tactics,even put forward and insisted the suggestion of changing the tribute path via Tianjin.However,the path did not accord with the tributary system,hence the Qing Court rejected.In 1893,with the catalysis of the Paknam Incident,the Qing Court recognized Siam as an independent country and the Sino-Siamese tributary relations terminated.After the interruption of the Sino-Siamese tributary relations,the discussion of signing treaty and dispatching consuls was sprouted and formed in China.Affected by the Prince Nakhon Chaisi's visit to China in 1906,the calling for the Sino-Siamese treaty based on independent state each other started rising high,the purpose of which was to protect the Chinese in Siam.In 1907,Yang Shiqi visited Siam,which was kicked off the treaty negotiations between China and Siam.After Yang came back to China,the Ministers to France of the two countries began to negotiate the treaty in 1908.But the both sides gave tit for tat on the affairs of the Chinese in Siam.The Qing court wanted to dispatch consuls for protecting Chinese in Siam.Conversely the Siam thought that the Chinese were her own citizens and they no needed protection from the Qing court.Therefore the negotiation came to a deadlock.The Qing government promulgated Nationality Law based on the principle of jus sanguinis on March 28,1909.Meanwhile differed from the former,the Siam government promulgated Nationality Law based on the principle of jus sanguinis and jus soli on April 10,1913,which made the problem of "dual nationality" for Chinese in Siam more complex.The occurrence of Chinese strike in Bangkok in 1910 and the application for licenses of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Siam during 1910-1913 made the Siam government worry about the power of intervention from China.With the publishing of The Jews of the Orient written by Rama VI in 1914,it implied the beginning of strong administration and assimilation of Chinese in Siam,Since then the Chinese problem became the focus and pertinacious illness in the treaty negotiation between the two countries.