第二次四明公所案与上海法租界的扩界

The Second Case of Siming Gongsuo and the Expansion of the French Concession in Shanghai

第二次四明公所案是19世纪末发生在上海的一件大事,它直接导致上海法租界的扩大。从其产生背景、经过和结果来看,第二次四明公所案并非近代化市政建设与落后的国民意识和风俗习惯之间的矛盾,而是当时列强掀起的瓜分中国势力范围的一个组成部分。在交涉过程中,清政府利用"地方外交"和"以夷制夷"策略,虽然一定程度上达到了为中央政府减压的目的,抵制了法方的一些侵略要求,使得法国政府最终放弃浦东和南向的扩界图谋,但"地方外交"和"以夷制夷"策略的作用是有限的,不但无法实现清政府的愿望,反而使清政府的外交显得进退失据,最后落得被夷协谋、得不偿失的结局。英、法等列强在瓜分中国势力范围过程中虽然存在利益矛盾和冲突,但他们最终都会以牺牲中国的利益达成妥协。

The second case of Siming Gongsuo was a major event in Shanghai at the end of the 19th century which led directly to the expansion of the French Concession in Shanghai.If we examine it from the background,process and results of the second case of Siming Gongsuo,it was not a conflict between modern municipal construction and backward national consciousness and customs,but an integral part of the imperialist powers’partition of China at the time.In the course of negotiations,the Qing government used strategies including'local diplomacy'and'using barbarians to subdue barbarians.'To some extent,this achieved the purpose of relieving the pressure on the central government and resisting some of the aggressive demands of the French government,eventually making it give up Pudong and relinquish its aspirations to expand southward.However,the effectiveness of'local diplomacy'and'using barbarians to subdue barbarians'was limited.Not only were they unable to help the Qing government achieve its wishes;they made it appear equally difficult for Qing diplomacy to advance or retreat.Ultimately,the result was that the'barbarians'colluded to coerce the Qing government,and the loss overweighed the gain.Although there were conflicts of interest between Britain,France and other powers in the process of carving up China,they would eventually sacrifice the interests of China to reach a compromise.