Liang Financial Thought

Liang Qichao is a renowned thinker and a propagandist of bourgeois ideology. The western culture he introduced is extremely widespread, and received even more profound affects. During the late Qing Dynasty and the beginning of Republic of China, China's finance ran into trouble. In order to save the crisis of national finance, many Chinese modern intellectuals combined the west economic theory with China's actual situation, and proposed many feasible reform plans, Liang Qichao was one of them. This thesis is going to analysis his financial thought from microcosmic angle.The first part reviews financial condition in the late Qing Dynasty and the early period of Republic of China from tax revenue,military expenses, reparations, debts and other aspects. The expenditure data shows the necessity and urgency of financial reform..The second part mainly discusses the integrality and systematic ness. He viewed tax, government bond, monetary system and bank as a whole. This shows the specialty of his thought. This part introduces his reform thought from five aspects: on institution, advocated the establishment of budget; on tax system, advocated the neaten should persist in equity and be in favor to the national economy and the people's livelihood. On debts, depending on the internal debt, reorganize the debts. On monetary system, establishing monetary standard and reforming monetary system, Liang Qichao thought monetary system is the premises and foundation. On bank, he advocated to open banks widely, and granted the right of issuing currencies to the bank, neaten the bank, government debts and currencies as a whole.The third part reviews a fact that Liang Qichao was once appointed director general of monetary bureau and chief manager of finance; he was full of confidence to a financial reform and anticipated an achievement. However, the reform measures did not put into practice, and he resigned in a hurry. This part gives a discussion about the reason from three aspects: the confusion of society and politics, the mess of economy and his conflict with governors such as Yuan Shikai and Duan Qirui.This article has conducted the research to Liang Qichao's financial thought. It may cause more detailed and more comprehensively understands of Liang Qichao. At the same time, the essence of Liang Qichao's financial thoughts also gives us some inspiration for our modern financial reform.