China's principal exports are TEA and SILK, tea constituting about one
third and silk (principally raw silk) fully one half of her total
export trade. Other principal exports are sugar, STRAW BRAID (one
twentieth of her total exportation), hides, paper, chinaware, and
pottery. Her principal imports are OPIUM and COTTON GOODS, opium
constituting a fifth, and cotton goods considerably more than a half,
of her total import trade. Other principal imports are woollen goods,
metal goods and machinery, coal, and kerosene oil. A considerable
importation is also made of raw cotton. But if China only had the
blessing of an enlightened and progressive government this disposition
of exports and imports would not long continue. China's resources of
COAL are among the finest and certainly among the largest in the whole
world. Her coal-fields, indeed, are estimated to be twenty times as
great as those of all Europe combined. Much of this coal, too, is of
the purest quality, and much of it very accessible to the miner. And
near her coal-fields are vast deposits of some of the richest IRON
ORES in the world. Again, a great portion of the soil of China is
extremely fertile. There are indeed two regions, one of "RED SOIL" and
another, much vaster, of "YELLOW SOIL," that are among the most
fertile in the world. It is because of the extent and fertility of the
yellow soil of China that "yellow" is the imperial colour, and the
emperor called the "yellow lord." The climate, too, of China permits
almost the whole range of useful vegetable products to be raised. The
growth of COTTON is already very great, because for seven centuries
cotton has been the staple cloth for the clothing of the people. And
already it is being manufactured by modern machinery. But both the
growth of cotton and its manufacture by modern methods would be
enormously increased if only facilities for internal transportation
existed, and freedom from unjust taxation could be secured. If, in
short, China only had railways and a good and enlightened system of
government her progress and prosperity would soon make the Western
world envious. But her government is not only stupidly unprogressive,
it is also disastrously wasteful. About seventy per cent. of the whole
revenue of the country is lost to the public use through the
malfeasance of officials. And only about 85 miles of railway have as
yet been opened, although it must be said that 200 or 250 miles more
are under construction.