COMMERCE
465
China has besides .ill extensive coasting trade, largely carried on h}' British and other foreign as well as Chinese vessels.
Great Britain has, in virtue of various treaties with the Chinese Govern- ment, the right of access to certain ports of the Empire. The following is a list of twenty-three of these treaty ports, with the value of their direct foreign imports and exports for 1897: —
Names of Ports
Provinces
Population
Imports
Exports
t
Haikwan taels
Haikwan taels
Newchwang .
Shengking
[ 60,000
1,641,415
5,547,826
Tient-sin
Chihli
950,000
9,169,402
10,192,495
Chifu .
Shantung
1 35,000
3,685,050
1,388,970
Chung-king .
Szechuan
300,000
—
—
Ichang .
Hupeh
34,000
—
—
Shasi^ .
"
73,000
—
—
Hankau
' '
1 800,000
174,971
3,421,233
Kiukiang
Kiangsi
55,000
5,800
—
Wuhu .
Anhwei
78,000
2,105
8,935
Nanking
Kiangsu
, 150,000
—
—
Chinkiang ,
j>
1 140,000
852,785
1,490,254
Shanghai
j>
457,000
132,219,185
78,394,867
Suchau
>> •
500,000
—
—
Ningpo
, Chehkiang
255,000
705,751
64,624
Hangchau
>)
700,000
44,620
—
Wenchau
J >
80,000
12,260
2,196
Fuchau
Fukien
650,000
4,342,107
4,304,814
Amoy .
> J
i 96,000
11,336,255
1,711,555
Swatau
Kwangtung
35,000
9,441,305
3,322,278
Canton .
>>
2,500,000
13,729,975
19,930,353
Wuchow
Kwangsi .
50,000
1,368,983
398,329
Samshui
Kwangtung
4,000
37,647
660
Kongmoon &
I
Kumchuk .
> 5
—
170,128
7,623
Kiungchau .
I "
40,000
1,464,722
1,778,715
Pakhoi
1
" *
20,000
2,656,724
1,501,836
Lungchau
, Kwangsi
22,000
83,074
25,873
Mengtsz
Yunnan .
' 12,000
2,394,028
1,057,737
Szemao .
>)
1 15,000
154,596
31,378
Wuchow on the West River, and Samshui in Kuangtung, were opened to Foreign trade on the 4th June, 1897, in accordance with the Special Article of the Burmese Frontier Con- vention (British Treaty of February 4tli, 1897).
Szemao was opened to frontier trade on January 2nd, 1897, in accordance with the stipulation of the Gerard Supplementary Frontier Convention of 1895.
The Chinese Government has announced its intention of opening Yochow, in Hunan; Santuao, in Fukien; Chingwangtao, in Chihli; and Woosung, as treaty ports.
Since April 1887 the customs stations in the vicinity of Hong Kong and Macao have been placed under the management of the foreign customs. In 1897, Kowloon imports 13,027,228 haikwan taels, and exports 23,024,493 haikwan taels; Lappa imports 3,514,878 haikwan taels, and exports 5,894,314 haikwan taels. The same service has also been charged with the collection of the so-called Likin (inland) tax on foreign opium imported, which is likely to result in a considerable increase of the foreign maritime customs receipts. A custom house was opened at Yatung (Tibet) on 1st May, 1894. The port of Nanking, which the Chinese Government consented to throw
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