Japanese Copper Trades From The Era Of Shunzhi To Qianlong

Trade between China and Japan has a long history. However, the shares of Japan’scopper only make up a very small proportion of China and Japan trade before seventeenthCentury. At the beginning of seventeenth Century, copper trades between China andJapan brisk up. Especially in t late seventeenth Century and in early eighteenth Century, theinput share of Japan’s copper was soaring up constantly and Japan became themajor importer of China’s copper material. However, the restrictions on copper export madeby Japanese government and the excessively exploitation of Yunnan’s Copper byQianlong government result in the gradual declination of Japan’s copper trade and the mainsource of domestic copper’s raw material was substituted by Yunnan’s Copper. This study takesthe development, flourish and fade of Japanese copper trade in the era of Shunzhi and Qianlongas the main line and carries out the discussion according to copper trade between China andJapan in the period from three parts.To begin with, the study introduces the background information of Japanesecopper trade from the era of Shunzhi to Qianlong. As far as Qing Dynasty isconcerned, firstly, massive silver inflow and severe shortage of domestic copper production inthe course of international trade lead to the results that sliver was getting cheaper and copperwas getting more expensive, which makes no contribution to the stability of monetary marketand the development of social economy. Secondly, the domestic copper was lack ofexploitation. This is mainly for the reason that the rulers of the Qing Dynasty want to easethe price comparisons crisis by making more copper coins. However, as the main rawmaterial of copper coins, the sources of copper do not guaranteed. Severe shortage ofcopper and under exploitation made by the Qing rulers domestic copper mine lead to thedeficiency of domestic copper supply, which asks for finding other material sources. As forJapan, Japan desires for Chinese goods. Regarded as the exchange commodity, copper becomesanother important reason for trade between China and Japan.At the second place, the study lays out the specific situation of Japanesecopper trade. Japanese copper trade is divided into three stages in this period: firstly, the risingphase of copper trade is mentioned, namely the evolution of copper imports system from theera of Shunzhi to Yongzheng. Secondly, the development stage of Japanesecopper trade, namely the reformation of copper trades’ import and the acquisition system of theamount by the early of Qianlong period, which mainly introduces the amount of import ofJapanese copper, the official businessmen and the folk businessmen in this period. Thirdly, thedecline of Japanese copper trade is listed. In the late of Qianlong period, it increased the mineral extraction on Yunnan’s copper, which results in the increasing of domestic copper.Besides, the Japanese government restricts the coppers’ export. Therefore, Qinggovernment began to get rid of the dependence on Japanese copper, and the coppertrade between China and Japan was declining gradually.Finally, the thesis describes the influence of copper trade on copper coins castingbetween Shunzhi to Qianlong period. It is also divided into two parts: the first period is beforethe development of Yunnan’s Copper, it is possible to make a large amount of copper coincasting on the basis of the sources of Japanese copper. To some extent, it eases the crisis ofthe parity between silver and copper and the stability of currency market in the early QingDynasty; the second period is during the later of the development on Yunnan’s copper, thecopper trade started to fade and it replaced Japanese copper.With condition of China and Japan, the thesis describes the overall historical situationof copper trade development from the era of Shunzhi to Qianlong, concluding the backgroundof trade, the changing of policies, and the trend of copper input. From the micro perspective,the thesis also analyzes the process of Japanese copper trade and provides a detail caseconcerning with promoting the trade between China and Japan.