At present the foreign trade of China is largely in the hands of the
English. In the year 1896 the foreign export trade of China amounted
to $167,000,000. Of this amount $132,500,000 was with Great Britain
and her dependencies; $10,000,000 with the United States; something
over $8,000,000 with the continent of Europe exclusive of Russia, and
less than $2,000,000 with Russia. In the same year the foreign import
trade of China was $102,500,000, of which $56,000,000 was with Great
Britain and her dependencies; a little over $9,000,000 with the United
States; $15,000,000 with the continent of Europe exclusive of Russia,
and $12,500,000 with Russia. (The rest of her trade was principally
with Japan.) The policy of the government of China has always been to
prevent or restrict foreign trade; and even to-day foreign trade can
be carried on in only twenty-six Chinese ports--the so-called "TREATY
PORTS." The policy of Great Britain has been to secure by treaty as
large a privilege of trading with China as possible; then to throw
open the privilege to the world, but to follow it up with such
commercial activity on her own part as would secure to her the lion's
share of the resulting trade. Of the twenty-six ports now by treaty
open to the world for trade, twenty-three have been secured by Great
Britain and three by Japan.