Studies On Jinan Commercial Port (1911-1928)

Jinan holds an important status in the history of Chinese cities'development. The commercial port was opened in 1904, and since then, it has absorbed the economic civilization from the outside world, and obtained the strength to develop itself, which quickly transformed Jinan from a consumptive city mainly in traditional farming economy to a modernized city with flourishing development in business.As a special economic zone, the commercial port took favorable status to generate investment and attracted a large number of businessmen both in China and abroad. As a result, it had created a prosperous economy in a short periodof 20 years. Although this prosperity was often interrupted by social crises, led by the commercial port chamber of commerce, the national bourgeoisie united and worked together to promote the social economy to some extent.The emergence of Jinan's commercial port chamber of commerce is the result of the united strength of Jinan bourgeois. After the commercial port chamber of commerce had been established, it assumed the responsibility of inspiring business wisdom, developing industry, leading the industrialists and businessmen to learn the advanced production management from the western countries, and introducing advanced production technology to further enhance the economic development. Meanwhile, establishing its own prestige during the economical development, the commercial port chamber of commerce became an actual leader of the merchants, and had the authority to undertake dialogues with the various social forces and classes. During the reign of Beijing government, China suffered a lot from political chaos, division of the country among warlords, and successive years of tangled warfare. Warlords plundered people through all kinds of oppressive taxes, and people lived in misery.The merchants became the target they exploit. Countless taxes and the military rations were loaded in successive years, which harmed their benefits badly. As the representative of the interests of the merchants, the commercial port chamber of commerce launched a series of struggles with the Chinese government at that time and did their best to maximize the economic benefits for the merchants.In the meanwhile, the commercial port chamber of commerce had played an important role in social life. Owing to their high social prestige and economic power, people gave them the social leadership title. They were willing to take the leading role in society to expand their influence. By means of personnel assignment, financial assistance and personal guidance, they achieved a certain degree of voice right in philanthropy, municipal construction, education, culture, public health and disease prevention, social security and other social welfare activities. With the support of the commercial port chamber of commerce, the social environment in the port area had been improved, all classes of society were aided, the condition of education was better, and the social order was also improved. Accordingly, the merchants'enthusiasm for production was on the rise and commercial port society economy had enjoyed a virtuous circulation.The development of economy caused the change of the commercial port social feature, people's life style and concept of value. Social values gradually got released from traditional stereotype with the influence of Europe and America and took on a new look, transforming toward a modernized direction.The development of commercial port not only spured the development of the entire city of Jinan but caused it to become the first large business center in Shandong area from a traditional political center mainly in consumption, accelerating the its modernization.In the circle of politics, although the industrial and commercial capitalists had the racial consciousness of retrieving benefit power and self-reliance patriotic, this kind of consciousness was suppressed because of the long-term confinement by the Shandong authorities. Another reason was their own class limitation which maked them seldom put forward the request to reform political system. Their politics activitied mostly aim at the economic benefits of bourgeoisie. Even to imperialism, they had adopted different strategies based upon their own economic benefits. These limitations left the industrial and commercial capitalists of Jinan taking a vague and unstable attitude towards the revolution in the process of the democracy and national movement.