Britain's Imperial Cornerstone in China: The Chinese Maritime Customs Service, 1854-1949 (Routledge Studies in the Modern History of Asia) Book

The Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs Service was a uniquely cosmopolitan institution established in the wake of China's defeat in the Opium Wars (1842-43), and became a central feature of the Treaty Port system. This British-dominated service was headed by the famous Robert Hart who founded a far-reaching customs administration that also encompassed other responsibilities such as marine and harbor maintenance, quarantine, anti-piracy patrols and postal services. Following the establishment of the Republic in 1911 there were grave misgivings as to whether the foreign element of the Service would survive. Yet the Service grew in influence and strength, ensuring the foreign inspectorate a continued role in China's affairs. This book provides an overview of the Service, focusing especially on the later years of the Service and the experiences of the foreign administration of the Service as it attempted to negotiate between Chinese and foreign expectations and interests.Read More