The French Colony of Kwang-chow-wan: shipping and politics in Southwest China, 1898-1946

Abstract

The major reason for France to acquire Kwang-chow-wan (KCW) in 1898 was the parallel occupations of Port Arthur by Russia, of Kiaochow Bay by Germany, and of Weihaiwei by Britain. Russia, Germany and Britain having secured naval bases in Chinese waters the desire of the French to be likewise situated, is readily understood. The territory of KCW comprised of circa 842 square kilometres, a size that came third compared to similar leasehold-colonies in China such as British Hong Kong (ca. 1,039 square kilometres, including the New Territories), German Kiaochow (ca. 1,515 square kilometres, with a surrounding sphere-of-interest of ca. 5,500 square kilometres), and British Weihaiwei (ca. 739 square kilometres, with a surrounding sphereof- interest of ca. 3,885 square kilometres). Situated at the coast of the South China Sea, on the northeastern side of the Liu-chow peninsula, in Kwang-tung province, and north of the island of Hainan, the leasehold-colony of KCW was created by a preliminary Sino-French agreement of April 10, 1898 which core elements were confirmed in the Sino-French convention of November 16, 1898. France leased from China for 99 years the Bay of KCW, with three islands, in order to set up a naval station with a coal depot. Occupied by Japan in 1943, KCW was returned to China in 1945 and renamed in ’X•] (Zhanjiang). The paper aims to enhance awareness of the crucial importance of the trading and shipping sector in the non-violent process of France•fs imperialist encroachments in China. Therefore it will explore into France governmental policies and private business strategies with regard to the political economic, and cultural development of French Indochina of which KCW was a part of despite its geographical dislocation. It will further investigate into the background and features of Anglo-French imperialist struggles in which Western consuls, merchants, shipowners, and missionaries took an active part in. It will also deal with patterns of collaboration and resistance of Chinese business elites.