略论“人臣无外交”思想在近代中国的历史命运

The Fate of NDSCNDP in Modern Chinese History

鸦片战争前后,"人臣无外交"思想,既是清廷办理夷务的基本原则,同时又是婉拒与外国接触的一个堂皇理由。但是经过两次鸦片战争的打击,不仅钦差大臣耆英等人直接面见"英夷",怡亲王载垣、恭亲王奕等也被迫直接参与对外议和。其后,清廷向外国派遣常驻公使、同治帝接见外国公使,这标志着清廷"人臣无外交"旧制的彻底消亡。"人臣无外交"的思想体制,是封建君主专制政体的产物,与近现代的国家外交格格不入。从"人臣无外交"到"人臣办外交",再到"亲王外交",其中既有中国半殖民地外交的屈辱与无奈,又是中外依约而行的国际外交惯例,同时也是中国外交从传统封闭到近代开放的进步。"人臣无外交"的思想体制,嬗变为近代的国家外交,是一种历史的必然。

The Policy of ＇never downgrading to a subordinate country that has no diplomatic power＇ （NDSCNDP） around the Opium War is the fundamental principle for the Qing Court to deal with foreign affairs, and also the formal reason for refusing to contact other countries. However, after the two times of Opium War, not only did the imperial envoys such as Qiying directly go to visit the English officers, but also Princes Zaiyuan and Yixin and others were forced to join in peace negotiation with foreign delegates. The Qing Court then even sent resident ministers, and the Emperor interviewed overseas envoys, which suggests the total death of the old policy of NDSCNDP. The ideological system of NDSCNDP has been the product of the government form of the feudal autocratic monarchy, which is misfit to modern international diplomacy. The policy replacing process mentioned above implies not only humiliation and reluctance, but also the international diplomatic convention that has come into being. It is as well a progress from the traditional inwardness to modern open attitude towards the outside world, which is a historical inevitability.