New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-19
COMMERCE OF CHINA.

The year 1898 was one OF exceptional dis
turhance and unrest In China. There were for
eign aggressions and domestic insurrecton, and
an imperial coup d'etat at the capital. In any
other land such doings would almost certainly
have caused commercial depression. But China
Is an exception to most rules 1t was perhaps
not expected but Il is not particularly sur
nrising. therefore, to find that 1898 was year
of unprecedented commercial activity and pros
perity The foreign trade Of the empire aggre-
gated no less than S295 00,O00-reckonng the
Haikwan tael at so cents-which is larger
sum than had ever before been reported. 1t Is
true that the customs and other revenues
showed a decrease of some S191 900 from the
preceding wear But this Is accounted for by
a decrease in the opium trade, In the likin tax
and in the rate Of import tarln on some aru-
Giles: circumstances by no means unfavorable
IN their significance. The import duties now
average only about 317 per cent ad vaorem
which. as the Imperial Customs Report OBJ
serves. SIS within a measurable distance Of
Free Trade"
The excess Of imports over exports Is main
tanned and In an increasing ratio. Last year
II was S4OOOOOOO while the average for
the preceding ten years was only about $751;
as unfavorable in It's significance. for the fig
ures with which we are dealing refer to only
The ocean trade China has in addition large
foreign trade overland and coastwise. with
Corea. Indo-China the East Indies, and her
own colonial possessions OF Mongolia ana
rhlbet. the balance Of which Is largely in her
favor For example, 10000 tons of tea are sent
TO Thibet alone every year. While no full re-
fro do
are available, there is a strong presumption
that they more than counterbalance the deficit
in the maritime trade of which we have spoken,
and that there Is. therefore, no depletion or
Chinese currency TO pay for imports. On the
contrary. the country IS probably drawing
money from abroad. and growing richer year
by year
The share Of the United States In the trade
of China showed, Of course. no increase last
year. The disturbed condition Of our foreign
relations forbade II. The decrease was trifing
however and the aggregate was much above
the average OF the last ten years. In round
numbers our total trade with China last year
amounted to S3O,3O0,OO0. That was S2000000
less than In the year before. But it was more
than In any preceding year, and it was $500
900 more than the average of the last ten years
1t was, It will be observed. little more than
10 per cent Of Chinas entire foreign trade
Well that is more than any other country had
excepting the British Empire and Japan. The
British Empire has Go per cent Of Chlnas trade
Japan has scarcely II per cent. Russia, with
all her aggression, has not more than per
cent But 10 per cent is not sufficient for this
country. With its vast frontage on the Pacific
directly facing China; with its splendid base
of operations In the Philippines, just off the
Chinese coast. and with chain Of island ports
all the way across the Pacific, the United States
must soon increase its trade with China until
it begins to rival that of the British Empire
itself.