Chapter 42 Section 3 Who Abolished Unequal Treaties

Before the summer vacation of 1978, a group of high school students in Taiwan questioned the time for the abolition of unequal treaties on page 98 of the third volume of the high school history textbook and page 32 of the first volume of the Three People's Principles textbook.They said: the date of the abolition of the treaty is stated in the history textbook as "October 10, 31", and the date of the abolition of the treaty is stated in the textbook of the Three People's Principles as "January 11, 32". The two dates are different. What happened? What about?On June 8, 1978, the National Institute of Compilation and Translation made a public reply in various newspapers, saying: "On October 10, 1931, the United States and Britain announced the withdrawal of unequal treaties, and formally signed an equal and reciprocal agreement with us. In the New Testament, it is 'January 11, 32', so both books are correct." This kind of answer is very problematic.Because "October 10, 31" is only the time when the United States and Britain notified the abolition of the treaty, and the legal procedures have not been completed, so how can it be counted?As for the "January 11, 1932" New Testament, according to the Kuomintang textbooks and historical writing, it is considered an unprecedented "glorious record" for the abolition of unequal treaties, and the credit for this glorious record is attributed to Chiang Kai-shek.Was the unequal treaty abolished by Chiang Kai-shek?Let us use public historical materials and check and check.

Look at the content of the abolition of unequal treaties.According to the "Summary of Party History" copied by Zhang Qiyun, who was the secretary-general of the Central Committee of the Kuomintang, the content is as follows: 1. Consular Jurisdiction The consular jurisdiction (extraterritorial jurisdiction) enjoyed by the United States and the British people or associations in China is revoked. From now on, the people or associations of the United States and Britain in Chinese territory shall be under the jurisdiction of the government of the Republic of China in accordance with the principles of public international law and international practice .

2. The embassies and garrison areas The privileges obtained by the United States and the United Kingdom under the Xinchou peace treaty, such as the embassy circles and the right to garrison troops on Beining Road, etc., shall be revoked.The administration and management of the embassy circle, together with all official assets and official obligations in the embassy circle, are handed over to the government of the Republic of China. 3. Concessions The concessions of the United States and the United Kingdom in China will be abolished, and their administration and management, as well as all official assets and obligations, will be handed over to the government of the Republic of China.

4. Special courts The special courts of the United States and the United Kingdom in the concession will be abolished. 5. Privileges of foreign water pilots, etc. The privileges of the United States and the United Kingdom to use foreign water pilots at various ports in China will be revoked. 6. Privileges for sailing warships. The privilege of sailing into China's territorial waters for US and British warships is revoked.In the future, when warships visit each other between China and these two countries, they will give each other preferential gifts in accordance with normal international practice.

7. Privileges of the British Customs and Excise Commissioner The United Kingdom renounces its privilege to require China to appoint the British Customs and Excise Commissioner. 8. Coastal trade and inland navigation rights. The rights of the people of the United States and the United Kingdom in coastal trade and inland navigation in China shall be revoked. 9. Other Issues Affecting China's Sovereignty Issues not covered by this new treaty, if they affect China's sovereignty, should be resolved between China and the United States and Britain in accordance with generally recognized principles of public international law and modern international practice. (pp. 1710-1716)

Zhang Qiyun also wrote comprehensively: Since the Double Tenth Day of the 31st year, the two allies of the United States and Britain have voluntarily declared to me that they are willing to give up their privileges in China and sign a new treaty of equality. officially signed.The broadcast of good news, Chinese and foreign joy, when the new treaty was signed, the national government of our country issued a decree to inspire the people of the whole country to work hard. ... The morale of the people was boosted. (page 1720) If what Zhang Qiyun said is true, we will naturally "strengthen our efforts" and "boost the morale of the people."But the question is, should we look at the truth while we are growing up again?Is the truth really consistent with the treaty?

According to the propaganda of the Kuomintang, of course it is considered to be consistent, so on October 31, 1978, Taipei's "Central Daily" stated that it was "completely abolished" and "from then on, the shackles of China's nearly century-old unequal treaty were lifted. , and stand on an equal position in the world. This not only has its glorious position in Chinese history, but also has its glorious position in world history.” However, if we take out the status of Kowloon, how can the Kuomintang explain it?Kowloon is obviously China's territory. It was signed a 99-year lease in 1898. Why didn't the Kuomintang come back?

On October 10, 1942, various British newspapers published a British government statement saying: The imperial government publicly announced on January 14, 1939, July 18, 1940, and June 11, 1941, that it was preparing to cooperate with the Chinese Communist Party after the military operations in the Far East ended. The Republic of China government negotiated to abolish the extraterritorial rights that the British people still enjoy in China.The United States, which the Empire State consulted with, also issued a similar statement.In order to emphasize its friendship and connection with its allies in China, the imperial government has decided to make a further statement on this matter. ...willing to negotiate with the Chinese government in the near future...

But the statement belongs to the statement. During the negotiations, the status of Kowloon was not included in the United Kingdom and refused to negotiate. Chiang Kai-shek also made a gesture at the time, implying that if Kowloon was not included, "the negotiations may break down."Unexpectedly, as soon as the posture was set, the Chongqing "Central Daily" hosted by Tao Baichuan let it out first. In the editorial "Salute to Roosevelt", it revealed the news that China, the United States, and China and the United Kingdom were about to sign a contract, so the posture could not be established.Tao Baichuan admitted in "Correction and Supplement to an Editorial in Chongqing Zhongyang Daily" ("Biographical Literature" Vol. The editor-in-chief of the newspaper, Mr. Yuan Yeyu, was handed over to a military trial, but he did not commit any crimes against others. Yuan Junxuan was released on bail by Mr. Ye Chulun, and nothing happened."However, Bu Shaofu revealed in "Mr. Bray's Concern for a Junior in the Journalism" ("Biographical Literature" Volume 28, Issue 4) that Chiang Kai-shek lost his temper because the governments of China, Britain and the United States had originally agreed to announce the news at the same time on New Year's Day. , so it violated the promise, and this matter shows that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Chongqing cannot keep it secret.Bu Shaofu said that Tao Baichuan "lost the president of the Central Daily because of this." Dong Lin wrote in "Supplement to the New Testament of Sino-British Equality and the Recovery of the Kowloon Issue" ("Biographical Literature", Volume 38, Issue 3):

In fact, although the Sino-US and Sino-British new covenants were proposed to be announced simultaneously in Chongqing, Washington, and London on the first day of the new year in 1943, the Chinese government had repeatedly negotiated with the British government on the issue of taking back Kowloon but failed. The British Minister to China had the impression that if the Kowloon issue was not resolved, the negotiations might break down.An authoritative Chinese Kuomintang party newspaper published the news of the New Year's Day signing in advance, which will make the government lose the so-called "bargaining power", which is also an important reason for the anger of the authorities.Gu Weijun, the ambassador to the UK at that time, was called back to China and participated in the incident. He mentioned this point in his memoirs for reference.

After Britain insisted not to discuss the status of Kowloon, Chiang Kai-shek gave in.The reason why it cannot be hardened is: "It is not appropriate to destroy the overall situation for local problems in Kowloon, and the situation of the Allies is also unfavorable, so we decided to back down." (See Dong Xianguang's "Biography of President Chiang") But what is difficult to understand is: the British leased land, There is Weihaiwei in the north and Jiulong in the south.At the Washington Conference in 1922, the "warlords" demanded the recovery of leased land from various countries.At that time, Britain allowed the return of Weihaiwei leased land, which was formally taken back in 1930.Therefore, the reason for returning to Kowloon cannot be established because of Weihaiwei's case.Chiang Kai-shek's "surrender" once again illustrates his essence of "expert in fighting internally and amateur in external fighting".Therefore, the status of Kowloon has become one of the greatest ironies of the New Testament of Equality.If Kowloon can’t be taken back, why call it taking back the concession?What else is it called "unshackled by China's unequal treaties for nearly a hundred years"?The so-called "glorious record" and "complete abolition", but the truth is so? And as far as who is the first to abolish unequal treaties, no matter in fact or in form, Chiang Kai-shek has to face a challenge, that is, Wang Jingwei's Nanjing puppet regime's action of "abolishing unequal treaties".This action took place on "January 9, 32", exactly two days earlier than Chiang Kai-shek.Two days earlier, it was only about the abolition of the unequal treaty. In fact, according to the agreement signed by Wang Jingwei and the Japanese Abe in Nanjing on November 3, 1940, it is clear that "there is already a form of an equal treaty." , that is not only two days but two years early. (See Chapter 24 of Fu Qixue's "History of China's Diplomacy") The KMT's National Translation and Compilation Institute "does not want the traitors to abolish unequal treaties earlier than the Kuomintang", so it has to falsify history and forcefully write off the "Thirty Years and Ten Years" that were not signed. On the 10th day of the first lunar month”, Zhang Guanli put it on. Of course, it was painstaking. No wonder the high school students couldn’t figure out what was going on? However, even "October 10, 31" still lagged behind the traitors, because as early as "August 29, 31", at the "Jiangning Treaty Centennial Commemoration", Wang Jingwei The first speech has expelled Britain and the United States, abolished consular jurisdiction, and abolished unequal treaties.Because the traitors preemptively strike in this way, the Chongqing Ta Kung Pao on October 6 called for a quick follow-up when the US President's special representative, Wendell L. Willkie, came to China.So on October 10, the announcement was made.But the announcement is not a contract. When the Kuomintang rushed to "January 11, 32" to sign the contract with the United States and Britain, the traitors had already asked Japan for these rights back on "January 9, 32".On June 30th of the same year, the traitors and Japan re-enacted the "Implementation Rules for Japan's Return of the Administrative Power of the Shanghai Public Concession". This action of the traitor made Chiang Kai-shek feel great regret.Said in his diary: "It is a pity that Japan and Wang published the false abolition of the unequal treaty first. Although ordinary people know that the false treaty is child's play, but the new treaty between China and the United States was published later, it will be degraded by it." ("President Chiang. The Thirteenth Book of Secret Records) Britain and the United States waited until this year to abandon the unequal treaties.In Fu Qixue's "Chinese Diplomatic History", he said: "At that time, the power and status of Britain and the United States in China had been completely occupied by Japan. The 31st Pacific War was a year of disastrous defeat for Britain and the United States. Hong Kong, Singapore , the Malay Peninsula, the Philippines, the Netherlands, India, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar and other places were all occupied by Japan. The privileges in China that Britain and the United States gave up at that time were already lost privileges. This measure is the wisest measure.” The author of the Cambridge History of China also believes that in early 1943, Western countries signed the abolition of unequal treaties with the Chiang Kai-shek government, which was a symbolic move to counter Japan’s anti-British and American imperialism of publicity. (See Cambridge History of China, Vol.13, Pt.2, P.533) However, the speed of the traitors does not stop there.Not only did they abolish the unequal treaties with Japan, but they also abolished them with Italy.Wang Shijie and Hu Qingyu said in the book "The Abolition of China's Unequal Treaties": On January 9, 1932, the Japanese government signed an agreement with the Nanjing puppet organization, stipulating that all administrative powers in the Beiping embassy circle and all public and Japanese concessions should be returned to the puppet organization at an early date, and the extraterritorial rights enjoyed by the Japanese people would be abolished.On the 14th of the same month, the Italian government also issued the same statement. However, the speed of the traitors is more than that.They abolished unequal treaties not only with Japan and Italy, but also with France.On February 23, 1943, the Vichy government announced the renunciation of extraterritorial rights and the return of the concession, and notified Chongqing and Nanjing of the declaration at the same time, and signed an agreement with the Wang regime in Nanjing in mid-May. , Hankou, Guangzhou and other concessions were handed over to Wang Jingwei.Chiang Kai-shek's protest was invalid, and the French Vichy government signed the "French Return of the Shanghai Concession Agreement" with the Wang regime on July 22, 1943, surrendering the Shanghai French Concession.In a fit of anger, Chiang Kai-shek severed diplomatic relations with the Vichy government on August 1, and recognized Charles de Gaulle's government-in-exile on August 27.However, de Gaulle did not recognize Chiang Kai-shek's unilateral announcement to cancel France's unequal rights in China, but agreed to abolish it by signing a new treaty.So it was not until the end of August 1945 that Chiang Kai-shek had to discuss this issue with France, and it was not until February 28, 1946, that the new Sino-French treaty was officially signed.It can be seen that the patriotic drama of the traitors was performed earlier and faster than Chiang Kai-shek.In terms of Sino-French relations, Chiang Kai-shek signed a new treaty of equality with France, far behind the traitors. Three years later, the KMT's "glorious record" and "complete abolition" are the truth? Chiang Kai-shek abolished unequal treaties not only behind the traitors, but also behind the "warlords".As mentioned earlier, the abolition of unequal treaties in Japan, Italy, and France was done by traitors, much earlier than Chiang Kai-shek. Take Germany and Austria as examples. The "warlords" participated in the First World War in 1917. At that time, the Kuomintang strongly opposed it in the south, but participating in the war could improve China's international status. In the end, it proved that the "warlords" were more correct than the Kuomintang, and they were different from Germany and Austria. The Treaty of Equality was thus voided.Not only the abolition of unequal treaties was started by the "warlords", but even the new treaty of equality was initiated by the "warlords", that is, the "New Treaty of Equality between China and Germany", which was concluded on May 20, 1921.Germany renounced all privileges in China.It can be seen that since 1842, for the first time since 1842, the Beiyang warlords, not Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang, have concluded the New Treaty of Equality, eleven years earlier than the Kuomintang's New Treaty of Equality between China, the United States, and China and Britain? Take the Soviet Union again.As early as July 4, 1918, the Soviet Union’s Foreign Minister G.V. Chicherin submitted a report to the Fifth Session of the Soviet Union, saying that it would abolish the tsarist government’s oppression of the Northeast against China, and that it would Extraterritorial rights in China and Mongolia, abandoning the burden imposed by the tsarist government on the Chinese people under various pretexts, withdrawing the armed forces set up by the tsarist government against the consulates in the countries where they are stationed, and returning the Russian indemnity among the various Chinese indemnities to China.The declaration signed by Leo Karakhan on July 25, 1919 was based on Qi Tsering's report.It said: "The Soviet government did not ask for any compensation, but returned the Middle East Railway, as well as all mining rights, logging, gold mining, and other rights obtained from China by the tsarist government, Russian soldiers, businessmen, and capitalists." In the negotiation between the two countries, Gu Weijun is in charge.Dong Lin wrote in "Gu Weijun and China's Wartime Diplomacy" ("Biographical Literature" Volume 31 Issue 2): With regard to the abolition of unequal treaties, Gu repeatedly referred China's wishes to the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 and the Washington Conference in 1921-1922.After the end of World War I, Germany and Austria lost their privileges in China due to their defeat.However, it was actually Gu who presided over the abolition of unequal treaties through diplomatic channels.In his capacity as Chinese foreign minister, he signed the Sino-Soviet Agreement with the Soviet special envoy Garakhan on May 31, 1924, with a declaration and an exchange of notes, agreeing to the general principles for resolving related issues between the two countries.The agreement included many items, the most important of which was the cancellation of various treaties and contracts signed between China and Imperial Russia: "In accordance with the spirit of the declarations issued by the Soviet government in 1919 and 1920, the The Soviet government promised to abolish all treaties signed between imperial Russia and third countries that hindered China's rights and interests, and mutually guaranteed not to sign contracts with other countries that would damage the rights and interests of either China or the Soviet Union.Although the relationship between China and the Soviet Union will change a lot in the future, the "Gujia Agreement" has indeed opened a new era of equal treaties between China and foreign countries. Take Belgium again.Lin Dong wrote: Another bold diplomatic move by Gu was to declare the China-Belgium Treaty of November 2, 1865 null and void.By virtue of this treaty, Belgium invoked the most-favored-nation clause to have partial rights and interests in China, but the term of the treaty will expire on November 2, 1926.The Chinese government therefore notified Belgium to discuss a new treaty to replace the old one, but the other side, based on Article 46 of the treaty, believed that only Belgium had the right to request amendments.When Gu returned to diplomacy in October 1926, he personally handled the matter and suggested, for example, to negotiate a provisional agreement during the negotiation of a new treaty, but it was not adopted.Therefore, the Chinese government resolutely issued a decree on November 6, 1926, declaring the 1865 China-Belgium Treaty null and void. Later, when the Kuomintang signed a new Sino-Belgian treaty with Belgium on October 20, 1943, it was seventeen years later than the "warlords"; The Treaty of Friendship and Alliance was 21 years later than the "warlords", and the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Alliance was by no means a new treaty of equality, but a typical traitorous treaty. It can be seen from this that the "warlords" who have been scolded by the Kuomintang all day long did not lose power and humiliate the country like Chiang Kai-shek; they abolished unequal treaties, and they were far before Chiang Kai-shek.The above-mentioned relations between them and Germany, Austria, the Soviet Union, and Belgium are ironclad evidence.In fact, these are just the big ones, and there is no need to elaborate on the details. (See Li Ao's "Five Collections of Research on Chiang Kai-shek", p. 201) If we discuss them one by one, we will find the painstaking efforts of the "warlords", which really arouses our admiration.Take the recovery of the Shanghai Joint Trial Office as an example, which can be seen. The power of joint hearing by foreign consulates began with the Sino-British Treaty of Tianjin in 1858.Ordinary civil cases between China and the West are mostly settled by the county magistrate and the consulate.As for crimes committed by Chinese in the concession, the police in the concession sent them to the county magistrate for trial, and the consular joint trial.However, the situation is more complicated if there is a trial court in the concession.On April 20, 1869, Shanghai Road and the British and American consuls concluded the "Pidgin Establishment Charter".The joint trial courts of the public concessions began to be established, and soon the French Concession also set up joint trial courts, which were specialized in the Chinese and foreign litigations in the Shanghai Concession. The cases involving Chinese defendants were all tried jointly by foreign consuls; as for purely Chinese criminal cases, they were still handled by the Chinese court. Staff take care of themselves.The Revolution of 1911 broke out, and Shanghai Road was unable to perform its duties. The consular corps took the opportunity to take over the tribunal on November 10, 1911. The members of the Chinese Office were also appointed by the consular corps.Since then, not only foreign-related cases have to be tried jointly, but also purely Chinese cases in the concession have to be tried jointly.Foreign consuls hold the power of trial, and despite repeated protests from China, there was no result. It was not until August 31, 1926, under the auspices of the "warlord" Sun Chuanfang, that the "Temporary Regulations for the Recovery of the Joint Trial Office of the Shanghai International Settlement" was drawn up, and the original joint trial office of the Shanghai International Settlement was changed to a temporary Courts, all civil and criminal cases within the borders are tried by temporary courts, except for those that belong to the consular jurisdiction of various countries, and the judges are also appointed by the Jiangsu Provincial Office.Consuls of various countries related to Shanghai concluded this charter with the Jiangsu Provincial Office and agreed to take effect on January 1, 1927, and it was implemented for three years.The judges appointed by the court, like Xu Mo and Wu Jingxiong, are all people linked to the Kuomintang. Does Chiang Kai-shek have the measure of such a "warlord"? What's more, Chiang Kai-shek later abolished some unequal treaties, which also benefited from the shadow of talents used by the "warlords".As early as 1933, Robert T. Pollard wrote in "China's Foreign Relations 1917-1931" (China's Foreign Relations 1917 -1931) pointed out: In the era of popular warlordism, China's foreign policy was almost completely determined by only a small number of people who were familiar with public international law, had diplomatic experience, and were well versed in international situations.Many of these diplomats had graduated from Chinese missionary schools.Several of them have obtained advanced degrees from universities in the United States, Britain or other European countries.In fact, they all speak one or more languages.Therefore, the cabinet and the party department can be transferred back and forth, and the provinces can also let former bandits take power, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and diplomatic officials are always in the hands of young people of this class studying abroad.They had voiced their national grievances at conferences in Paris and Washington.They are determined to work towards the principle that China should be treated as a sovereign state.Thus, in a part of the Nanking government's successful enterprise, they had cultivated the foundations. It is precisely because the "warlords" have the capacity to allow professional diplomats to do diplomacy, so China can do diplomacy with a weak country, and it is not inferior, and it has "cultivated its foundation" for the Kuomintang.Finally, when the situation of the Kuomintang was getting smaller and smaller, Chiang Kai-shek invented the trick of using soldiers or party sticks as ambassadors and doing diplomacy.In the end, even the little foundation cultivated by the "warlords" was ruined by Chiang Kai-shek. Combining the facts above, we can see that the Kuomintang keeps saying that they were the first to abolish unequal treaties, completely abolished unequal treaties, that they were the only ones who abolished unequal treaties, and that others did not abolish unequal treaties, etc., which is completely inconsistent with history; on the contrary Yes, the new unequal treaties made by Chiang Kai-shek himself—such as the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Alliance, etc., have lost power and humiliated the country to such an extent that even the Qing Dynasty, "warlords", and traitors could not do it? The glorious record of abolishing unequal treaties Attributing it to Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang is distorting history? We also want to point out that after the Chiang Kai-shek government and the Western countries "symbolically" abolished the unequal treaties, they concluded another unequal treaty, which was not just a treaty of friendship and alliance between China and the Soviet Union.In order to fight the civil war, Chiang Kai-shek signed as many as thirteen treaties, agreements, and understandings with the United States in 1946 in exchange for military and economic aid from the United States.These new unequal treaties include opening the entire territory of China to the United States, allowing the US military to station and use Chinese bases and facilities, and American businessmen enjoying the same economic interests as the Chinese in China. The most notable of these is the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation between China and the United States.In fact, this commercial agreement includes political, economic, military, and cultural rights promises and most-favored-nation treatment. It actually restores the right of Americans to navigate in China's coastal and inland rivers, destroys customs autonomy, and also adds new permission for American warships. Freedom to travel.These are all in the form of laws to legalize the privileges of the United States in China.Chiang Kai-shek actually said that it was "signed on the basis of equality and mutual benefit." (See "Soviet Russia in China") Of course, from the text level, the two sides seem to be mutually beneficial, but in fact, it was impossible for China to occupy the American market at that time, let alone send warships to the United States, so in essence, it was absolutely one-sided for the United States. Those who only benefit, lose power and humiliate the country.After the "Sino-US Business Treaty", a series of unequal agreements including the "Qingdao Naval Base Secret Agreement" were signed.How did Chiang Kai-shek explain himself?