甲午战后海南岛未沦为法国租借地背后的英法博弈

The Contention between Britain and France Exempting Hainan from Being a French Concession after the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895

近代以来,英法两强在中国南部直至印度支那半岛的广大地区激烈角逐。中法战争之后,法国彻底征服越南,开始垂涎隔海相望的海南岛。甲午战争之后,为扭转和英国竞争中所处的劣势,法国派人考察海南欲行占领。英国出于维护自身在南中国的巨大利益不受法国威胁的目的而对此提出反对,清廷也并没有妥协,法方最终只得作罢。海南岛最终未落入法人之手,决定性的因素乃是英法之间的相互制衡。

Since modem times, the two powers Britain and France have competed intensely In me vast area from south China to Indochina peninsula. After the Sino-French War, France totally conquered Vietnam, and began to covet Hainan across the sea. After the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, in order to reverse the disadvantage in its competition with Britain, France sent an adventurer to Hainan for investigation and had intention to occupy this large Chinese island. To safeguard its enormous interests in south China against the menace from France, Britain protested against such an act from France, and the Qing government made no concession, either, thus France had to give up. In the end, Hainan did not become a French concession, the crucial factor of which was the mutual constraint and balance between Britain and France.