历史的尴尬:天津美租界的划分、形成与消失

Embarrassed History:Division,Establishment and Disappearance of the American Concession in Tanjin

近代租界的划定,大都有明确的记载。唯独天津美租界的划分,竟然没有任何历史记录和法律文件依据。美租界存在30多年后的一场外交纠纷,捅破了这层窗纸。清朝总理衙门档案留存的19世纪90年代德美两国与清政府之间交涉往来的文件,揭开了美租界的设立缺乏合法性的历史真相。列强间的争夺,清政府官员的无能外交,在这一交涉过程中暴露无遗。

Most of foreign concessions in modern China,their delimitation and establishment are all recorded in the historical dossiers. But just only the delimitation of the American concession in Tianjin,any legal document or other historical record have not been found. The fact was just revealed until a diplomatic dispute occurred while the American concession had existed for more than thirty years. The documents relating to the negotiation between Germany,the United States and the Qing government in 1890 s’ kept in the archives of the Zongli Yamen of the Qing Dynasty bring to light the truth of the lack of legitimacy in the establishment of the American concession. The rivalries among the powers and the incompetent Qing officials in diplomatic negotiation were exposed in all this process.