晚清駐英公使館與國際法的運用:以雙語照會爲中心的考察

The Qing legation in London and Its Application of International Law

駐外公使館從1876年設立之後,便成爲清政府與各國外交部之間重要的通信渠道。公使館作爲清政府官僚系統的一部分,其特殊的地理位置和用人政策使其在外得以較靈活地履行外交職能,包括外交談判、搜集整合情報、管辖及保護華民、照料政府派出的海軍學員等等。公使也可以代表清政府,對於總理衙門和外國駐華公使之間爭執不下、無法解決的外交問題,向各國外交部提出交涉的請求。本文以晚清駐英公使館爲例,考察了收藏於英國國家檔案館FO17檔案號下的雙語照會,對公使館如何利用國際法代表“中國國家”做出了初步的分析與評估。

First instituted in 1876,legations introduced new channels of communication between the Qing and foreign governments.Located overseas and staffed by a coterie of semi-professional diplomats supervised by high-ranking ministers,Qing legations conducted diplomatic negotiations,intelligence gathering,and supervision of consulates and Qing students in foreign countries.They also asserted the Qing9s legal authority over Chinese populations overseas and brought any unresolved disputes between foreign ministers and the Zongli Yamen in Beijing to the attentions of their home governments.This study aims at identifying the diplomatic,political,and cultural roles performed by the Qing legation in London based on a careful combing of Qing ministers’letters(zhaohui)housed in the British National Archive,together with internal communications with the imperial court,the Zongli Yamen and provincial officials,supplemented by diplomats9 personal accounts.