日俄战争期间清政府“中立”问题研究

“Neutralism” of the Qing Sovereignty during the Japan-Russia War

在百年前因争夺东北而爆发的日俄战争中,清政府宣布局外中立。长期以来,人们对此不予深究,简单否定。然而,清政府局外中立的表象掩盖着形形色色的真相和矛盾。事实上,出于维护东北主权、联日拒俄的考虑,在战争中,清军和奉天当局暗中为日军提供了帮助或便利,全国舆论更是袒日拒俄不加掩饰。同时,日俄两国也并未尊重清政府的中立,破坏中立的举动屡见不鲜。可见,对于中日俄这三国来说,所谓对中立的“恪守”和“尊重”主要是一种煞有介事的姿态,以避免战争的扩大化,这也折射出当时英美等列强的意图和复杂的国际关系。

A hundred years ago, the Qing sovereignty declared itself neutral as outsider, during the Japan-Russia War resulting from struggle over Northeast China. Scholars have long been satisfied with blank negative view on it. In fact, however, truth lied beneath the surface of “neutralism”. It is impossible for Qing sovereignty, claiming on Northeast, to retain neutral in reality during the war determining the fate of Northeast. Qing sovereignty had once considered of the possibility of siding with Japan to resist Russia, but at last had to state neutralism, circumstanced by its weakness and attitudes of other powers. Significantly, Qing sovereignty didn’t adhere to its statement. In the course of the war, Qing Army and local government of Fengtian provided Japanese army with secret aid and convenience,and the circle of nationwide media didn’t intend to mask its tendency of siding with Japan to resist Russia. Meanwhile, the neutral position of Qing sovereignty didn’t receive the corresponding respect from Japan and Russia, and was often trenched. Therefore, whether for China, or for Japan and Russia, so called “adherence” to neutralism mainly served as some kind of “pose”, through which to prevent the enlargement of the war in interest of such powers as U.K. and U.S.