海关洋员包腊与晚清中国外交

Edward Bowra as a CMC Foreign Staff and His Involvement in China's Diplomacy in the Late Qing Dynasty

海关介入晚清中国对外关系在世界外交史上实属独特现象。除了总税务司大搞"业余外交"外,海关其他中高层洋员也在一定程度上参与了中国外交。英国人包腊是最早一批进入中国近代海关任职的洋员,深受海关总税务司赫德的重用,1872年出任粤海关税务司。在赫德的安排和指导下,他参与了两次重要的中国外交活动——1866年斌椿使团出访欧洲和1873年维也纳世博会中国展。包腊参与中国外交的动机和目的对中国是友好的,在参与过程中尽心尽责,不遗余力,最终达到了促进中西相互了解、改善关系的效果,由此从微观角度展示了在近代"不平等条约体系"下海关介入晚清中国对外关系的多面性和复杂性。

The Chinese Maritime Customs(CMC)'s involvement in China's foreign relations in the late Qing dynasty is a unique phenomenon in World's History of Diplomacy. Not only the Inspector General(I.G.) but also senior staff, more or less, took part in all kinds of Chinese diplomatic activities. Edward Bowra, an Englishman,was one of the first foreign nationals employed by the CMC. His talents and efforts were recognized by Robert Hart, I.G.of the Customs and he was appointed as a commissioner of the custom in Canton in 1872. Because of Robert Hart's arrangement, Edward Bowra participated in two important China's diplomatic events, the Pin Chun Mission in 1866 and the Vienna World Exposition in 1873, in which his friendly intention and good purpose was demonstrated. He heartily devoted his effort to enhancing equal relations and better understanding between China and the West. From these events, one can see that the CMC's meddling into China's foreign relations in the late Qing dynasty was actually multiple-faceted and complicated under the international system of power politics.