新加坡殖民地自由港政策的形成(1819—1867)

The Formation of Colonial Singapore’s Free Port Policy(1819—1867)

新加坡殖民地自由港政策自1819年莱佛士提出后,直到1867年才得以最终形成。其间经历了颇多周折。出于短期利益考虑,英国东印度公司、海峡殖民地政府、印度总督府等机构多次试图挑战新加坡的自由港政策。从新加坡转口贸易当中获益巨大的英国东印度公司、新加坡商人先后成为捍卫自由港政策的主要力量,并努力争取得到英国殖民当局的认可。一次次的征税博弈,直接引发了新加坡商人争取新加坡"改辖"运动,并最终推动英国殖民当局于1867年决定,将以新加坡为首府的海峡殖民地由印度总督府管辖,正式"改辖"为英国殖民部直属。自此,新加坡作为英国直辖的殖民地,其自由港政策得以长期确立。从本质上看,新加坡殖民地自由港,是英国殖民体系下以自由贸易为外衣进行殖民扩张的政策体现,反映了工业革命后英国贸易政策由重商主义走向了自由主义,给英国带来了巨大的利益。自由港政策虽是英国殖民政策的产物,但它在连接和推动东西方贸易方面起了关键作用,至今仍具有重要的意义。

Ever since it had been put forward by Raffles in 1819,the colonial free port of Singapore finally took form in 1867.During this period,it went through many setbacks and difficulties.The British East India Company,the Straits Settlement Government,India Supreme Government tried to challenge Singapore’s free port policy several times out of short-term interests.The British East India Company and Singaporean merchants,who benefited greatly from Singapore’s entrepot trade,became the main force in defending the free port policy and striving for the approval of the British colonial authorities.The taxation struggle directly caused the administrative transfer movement led by Singaporean merchants.This movement eventually pushed the British colonial authorities in 1867 to formally transfer the administration of Strait Settlements(with Singapore as the capital)from the India Supreme Government to the Colonial Office.Since then,Singapore had maintained its free port status as a directly British-administered colony.The free port policy of colonial Singapore demonstrated the expansion of the British colonial system in the name of"free trade".Britain shifted from mercantilism to liberalism in foreign trade after the Industrial Revolution,which brought great benefits to the state.Although the free port policy was the product of British colonialism,it played an important role in linking and promoting trade between the East and West till today.