The Research On The Issue Of Local Officials' Intervening Diplomacy In The Late Qing Dynasty

Local officials' intervention in diplomacy is an important characteristic of the diplomacy of the late Qing Dynasty. In the Thesis I intend to explore the reasons of appearance of local officials' intervention in diplomacy in the late Qing Dynasty, the expanding of diplomatic power of local officials and the influence of local officials' handling diplomacy. During the Opium War local officials were appointed to the position of imperial envoy to Guang Dong and took charge of the negotiations between China and Britain. At this time local officials intervened in diplomacy initially and formally. After the Opium War Wu Kou Trade Envoies were set up. The Guang Dong local negotiation system of local officials' concurrent handling diplomacy was established Faced with a new situation of development of China and foreign countries' relations, the government of the Qing Dynasty persisted in coping with things by traditional manners. At last it led up to a serious consequence.After the Second Opium War, the establishment of Premier Government didn't change the situation of local officials' concurrent handling diplomacy. On the contrary, the situation of local officials' intervention in diplomacy extensively appeared.It had become an important way and characteristic of the diplomacy of the late Qing Dynasty. Formative reasons of the phenomenon were analysed in the thesis. Namely imperfection of diplomacy system of the late Qing dynasty leads up to the dispersion of diplomacy power; rising of local strength groups and forming of political layout outwardly heavy but inwardly light improve the status of local officials especially local strength groups; deepening of the Western countries' encroachment on China causes the expanding of the scope of intervention between China and foreign countries which makes local officials intervene in diplomatic activities initially. In the meantime, I explore the expression and the action of local officials in diplomatic activities, namely the effects of local officials in the course of diplomatic decision and implementation. Besides I analyse the situation of dispersion of diplomatic power.Diplomacy of local officials had an important effect on the diplomacy of the late Qing Dynasty, local officials are not professimal diplomats, and handling diplomacy is their concurrent post. So there was the loss of rights and interests made by local officials who lack professional knowledge of diplomacy. In addition, local officials' handling diplomacy is a indispensable transitional stage of modernization course of diplomacy of the late Qing Dynasty. Modern taleted persons of diplomacy of the first batch were trained in the course. And it replaced the Central Government to exercise Diplomacy power and postponed the perishing of the government of the late Qing Dynasty, which exempted China from becoming a colony.It is considered that local officials' intervention in diplomacy in the late Qing Dynasty is an important content and expression of Chinese diplomatic system of transitional stage from tradition to modernness, in the thesis.