A Study On The Modernization Of Sino-Korean Trade Under The Tributary System From 1840 To 1895

After the Qing Dynasty entered the customs and unified the whole country,it soon inherited the Ming Dynasty’s core position in the Han cultural circle in East Asia,and the Suzerain-vassal pattern between China and Korea was consolidated and developed.At the same time,based on the Suzerain-vassal relationship,the two countries formed and built a complete trade system from official to civilian,which we call the traditional trade system.Under this system,there is no significant commodity economy and commodity equivalent exchange relations,more is the relationship between tribute and reward.The Opium War in 1840 and the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1876 opened the door of the Qing Dynasty and Li’s Joseon successively.The changes of the situation also impacted the trade relations and trade forms between China and Korea.On the one hand,the two countries continued to maintain the Suzerain-vassal relationship and the traditional trade based on the tribute mode.Due to the changes in the international environment and international relations,both countries have to start the transition to modern trade,that is,more obvious Commodity Exchange.Especially from the 8th year of Guangxu Dynasty(1882),with the signing of a series of trade regulations such as the Articles of Association for Commerce,Commerce and Land Trade between China and the DPRK,the modern trade relations between the two countries have been established and developed,reflecting the characteristics of modern trade.Relevant historical facts fully show that the adjustment and development of trade between the two countries are carried out passively under the impact of international environment and international relations.Different trade stages present different characteristics.Based on the analysis of Sino-Korean trade activities between 1840 and1895,this paper analyzes and summarizes the development process of Sino-Korean trade in the past 50 years,and discusses the characteristics and influence of the transition from traditional trade to modern trade between China and Korea,which provides a new perspective for the study of the disintegration of suar-vassal relations between China and Korea.