A Study Of Negotiation Between Wu Tingfang And Secretary Of State On Chinese Issue(1897-1902)

Wu Tingfang is great diplomat in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic China. As an ambassador, he went to America for two times respectively form 1897 to 1902 and 1908 to 1909. During his stay there, the anti-Chinese movement was escalating and a number of Exclusion Acts were passed which imposed an unprecedented hardship on overseas Chinese in America. In order to protect overseas Chinese in America, Wu Tingfang fought and negotiated decisively and firmly with American government on the overseas Chinese affairs. By making a good use of the Paper Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) and combining current situation, the author intends to make a tentative study on Wu's principle in dealing with overseas Chinese affairs during his first tenure as Chinese ambassador to America and the negotiations between china and America on overseas Chinese affairs, aiming to lay a solid foundation for further study.This thesis consists of four parts.The first part will expound on the negotiations on overseas Chinese affairs between China and America during the tenure of Wu's predecessors. Before Wu Tingfang took up the appointment, Chen Lan Pin, Cheng Tsao Ju, Chang Yen Hoon, Tsui Kuo Yin, and Yang Yǘall had held the post. But the fact that they are all deeply affected by Confucianism and lack of formal training in terms of foreign language and international laws imposed various limitations on them in terms of culture to competence and constricted them from protecting overseas Chinese in America, which forms a vivid contrast with Wu Tingfang.The second part will elaborate on WU's negotiations over the amendment, extension, and continuation of Exclusion Acts. He protested the additional restrictions to"Entry Permit"for Chinese and strongly opposed extending the Exclusion Acts to Hawaii, Philippines and other areas. Meanwhile, he also made great efforts to prevent the renewal of Exclusion Acts.The third part will focus on Wu's negotiations over local anti-Chinese incidents in America. Upholding the international law and sticking to the principle of equality and mutual benefits as well as mutual respect, he criticized the drawbacks of anti-Chinese acts, protested the anti-Chinese campaign in Montano, and spared no efforts to safeguard the legitimate interests of overseas Chinese in America.The final part will discuss the contribution as well as limitation of Wu Tingfang's negotiations on overseas Chinese affairs between China and America. By making use of contemporary diplomatic strategies such as international laws, Wu Tingfang actively negotiated with American government, which imposed constant pressure on it and made it reconsider the handling of overseas Chinese issues. His effort also to some extent weakened the anti-Chinese sentiment, protecting the interests of overseas Chinese. However, in view of the limited national strength of china by then, it is better to give him an objective evaluation without stretching the truth too much.