英国东印度公司与马戛尔尼使华

The British East India Company and the Macartney Embassy to China

1793—1794年马戛尔尼使华是中西关系史上具有重大影响的事件,事关英国在东方的利益,与垄断对华贸易的英国东印度公司的利益则具有直接关系。但东印度公司领导层对遣使一事,态度消极,认为使团的最重要目标,是不对现状造成削弱和损害。这是因为他们对英国政府实施“抵代法”后中英贸易的发展趋势,以及以茶叶贸易为纽带与中国行商之间形成的合作关系,均感到相当满意。他们认为,与维持这种现状所带来的利益相比,长期以来广州口岸中西贸易中累积的一些问题和矛盾也不必急于解决。针对马戛尔尼提出的有关计划,东印度公司领导层加以抵制,经过双方的妥协,才达成合作的协议。在马戛尔尼出使中国期间,东印度公司广州商馆秘密与监督委员会进行了若干方面的合作和支持。马戛尔尼在华期间,特别是在离开北京南下和在广州短期逗留期间,为争取改善英商的贸易条件与中国官员交涉,符合东印度公司的利益。但这种努力最终并未得到具体结果。

As a famous historical event,the Macartney’s Embassy to China sent in 1793,for the benefit of Great Britain,was directly related to the privilege of the British East India Company which monopolized the Britain-China trade in that era.However,leaders of the Company hold negative attitude toward the Embassy,warned the Ambassador that he should“neither to impair nor injure our present situation”as the first and most important object of the embassy.They were satisfied with the rapid increase of the China trade since the operation of the Commutation Act in 1785,and with the cooperation of the Hong merchants in the tea trade.As they thought,given the big amount profits from the present trade situation,the long-term problems in the trade of the Guangzhou广州port were tolerable.Therefore they objected the plan that Macartney put forward in London,but finally they reached a cooperation agreement after mutual compromising.During the time the Embassy in China,the Secret and Superintendent Committee of the Company’s factory in Guangzhou cooperated by supporting them in some aspects.In his diplomatic endeavor in China,especially after leaving Beijing and during his short stay in Guangzhou,Macartney negotiated many times with the Chinese officials in the interests of Britain and the Company,which hardly bore fruit at the end.