Study On The Li Hongzhang's Overseas Chinese-protected Thinking

Overseas Chinese matter occupies a very important position in the late Qing Dynasty, and even affects the domestic and diplomatic affairs for a certain period. Many scholars have conducted beneficial and a wide range of research, the results are very rich. The study about the relationship between the late Qing Dynasty officials and overseas Chinese is also abundant, but more concentrates in the officials who had the direct contact with the Overseas Chinese. For example, each envoys, Zhang Yinhuan, Xue Fucheng, Wu Tingfang, Huang Zunxian, and so on. The study on the relationship between the overseas Chinese and Li Hongzhang who affected the overall domestic situation is not sufficient. In fact, Li Hongzhang was one of the officials who concerned the matter of overseas Chinese earlier. His awareness changed constantly in-depth, and eventually formed his own unique system of overseas Chinese-protected thinking. His practice of the Overseas Chinese-protected had also made outstanding achievements. Especially in the signing process between China and Peru he played an important role in the preservation of the rights and interests of laborers. Subsequently a series of overseas consulates were built, and the envoys were also posted out to be the representatives of the Qing government. These opened the modern history of the protection of Overseas Chinese.These are inseparable for his thinking. What are his Overseas Chinese-protected practice? What is the thinking that guides his practice? How is his thinking produced and developed? What are the contents? What is the impact? These are the issues which are worthy of exploring. And Overseas Chinese around the world today, they engage in various industries in foreign countries, and some have even became the business elite and even participate in the political field. They represent the image of more than 1 billion Chinese people. They not only promote extensively the Chinese culture, but also support actively the constructive causes of the motherland. But their situation is worrying, there are much news report about the overseas Chinese been attacked and Chinese shop be robbed of. Even the most fundamental thing--personal and property safety is not protected, what is the protection? This has aroused the Chinese government′s attention and they adopt a series of measures to deal with timely. So today the study on Li Hongzhang′s Overseas Chinese-protected thinking not only helps improve the research on the work of his ideology, but also helps our government to draw useful content to guide the immediate protection of overseas Chinese.Based upon these, the thesis will study the Li Hongzhang′s Overseas Chinese-protected thinking in the Qing Dynasty systematically and comprehensively, including the form of the Overseas Chinese-protected thinking′s background, causes, meaning and impact. So the structure of the thesis is divided into four chapters.The first chapter backwards simply the form of Overseas Chinese matter and the early policy that Qing government taked. Overseas Chinese matter formed early and been more complex in modern history. What measures the Qing government had taked when they faced the new situation and new problems. These are the historical background of the form of Li Hongzhang′s Overseas Chinese-protected thinking. The second chapter introduces the internal and external factors that urged the formation of Li Hongzhang′s Overseas Chinese-protected thinking. The internal factors have the concern about the attention to the national affairs out of the need of vocation and the emotion that extends of country and nation, the external factors are mainly Overseas Chinese′s cry for help, the needs of establishing the cause of Westernization and stabling the rule order, as well as the impact of other Chinese officials′ideas and opinions. By analysing the Li Hongzhang′s internal and external environment to clarify what factors contributed to the formation of his thinking. The third chapter details the content of Li Hongzhang′s thinking. These are primarily based on the memorial to the throne and Prime Minister Department that clarified his proposals, and the speech exchanged between him and other officials. The content is divided into four areas, that is, regarding the Overseas Chinese businessmen and striving for them to contribute to the motherland, protecting the laborers and attracting Overseas Chinese′s heart; maintaining the communication and exchange with the diplomatic envoys, collecting the information of countries where the Overseas Chinese live .We can see more comprehensive outlook of Li Hongzhang′s thinking. The forth chapter primarily talks about the impact of Li Hongzhang′s thinking and the evaluation as the follow-up studies about his thinking. Li Hongzhang′s Overseas Chinese-protected thinking had not only promoted the certain progressive changes of Qing government, but also established close links between the Overseas Chinese and China. These prepared the foundation for future development of Chinese history. Can be seen, Li Hongzhang formed his own thinking and guided his practice when he faced the new situation, though his thinking and practice were limited in the times, it was also far-reaching effects and still effective.The basic historical materials mainly contain "The Complete Works of Li Hongzhang","The historical data compilation of laborers abroad", "Foreign-quarter historical data of Qing Dynasty" (mainly Tongzhi and Guangxu) , and then supplemented by various works, diaries of other officials and the other related materials about diplomatic history to inspect the Li Hongzhang′s Overseas Chinese-protected thinking.