Australian Centre on China in the World, The Australian National University

This research argues that Britain played an important role in China’s redemption of the Canton-Hankow railway contract from the American-China Development Company. Despite appearing as a non-participant, Britain influenced the development of this Sino-US contention at various stages. During the dispute, Britain exercised “full spectrum diplomacy”, through which semi-official institutions, media, intelligence, and financiers collectively enhanced British interests in China’s railway system. The commercial and political interests of the British Empire were intricately intertwined. Their involvement in the Powers’ competition over the Canton–Hankow line served as an extension of Britain’s rivalry with the Franco-Russian alliance in Europe. The British government’s involvement in this case was characterised by ambiguity and clandestinity. While it was reluctant to openly support British merchants’ engagement with the Canton–Hankow line, the Foreign Office exerted influence covertly through non-official agencies, enterprises and media channels to squeeze Belgian interests out of the railway contract. Meanwhile, China did not remain passive in the Powers’ competition over control of its railways. Identifying the conflict between continental and maritime powers, Chinese officials sought to preserve the railway sovereignty by balancing the competing interests of the foreign powers in China.  

About the Speaker

WEI Shuge is a historian at the Australian National University. She is currently head of the Department of Pacific and Asian History at the School of Culture History and Language. Her research interests include history of Sino-foreign relations, Chinese media history, and Sino-Japanese War. She published in distinguished journals including Modern Asian Studies, Modern China, Journal of Chinese History, Journal of Modern Chinese History and Twentieth-Century China. She is the author of News under Fire: China’s Propaganda against Japan in the English-Language Press, 1928–1941.

The ANU China Seminar Series is supported by the Australian Centre on China in the World at ANU College of Asia and the Pacific.