清代对外贸易外债偿还法探析——基于对十三行行欠的考察

Analysis of Foreign Debt Repayment Law in Foreign Trade of Qing Dynasty——Based on a Study on the Debt of Thirteen-hang

清代对外贸易带来的利润给予这个白银产出量甚微的国家以财政支撑,但是清政府的外债偿还法却带给载体十三行灭顶之灾。清政府基于政治因素的考量和中国封建社会传统处理债务的方法而确定的行商偿债方法,违背了当时国际上关于破产免责的商业法则,人为地对行商们的现金流进行分置消滞,阻碍了商业资本的正常流动,造成了行商们资金短缺,并让巨额债务弱化和拖垮了十三行商,严重影响了清朝财政收入和国家实力,撕开了英美外商力量觊觎清朝市场的口子,是引发鸦片战争众多因素中的一个。

The profits brought about by foreign trade in the Qing Dynasty gave financial support to this country with little silver output.However,the Qing government's foreign debt repayment law brought great catastrophe to the thirteen-hang that conducted foreign trade.The way in which the Qing government paid back the foreign debt,based on political considerations and the traditional method of handling debts in Chinese feudal society,violated the international business law of bankruptcy exemption at that time and artificially divided the cash flow of the traders.This has hindered the normal flow of commercial capital,caused a shortage of funds for traders,weakened and dragged down the thirteen-hang traders with huge amount of debt,seriously affected the fiscal revenue and national strength of the Qing Dynasty,torn open a gap in the Qing market for British and American foreign forces,and became one of the many factors that triggered the Opium War.