The Boxer Protocol was signed on September 7, 1901, between the
Qing Empire of China and the
Eight-Nation Alliance that had provided military forces (including Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Russia, and the United States as well as Belgium, Spain, and the Netherlands), after China's defeat in the intervention to put down the
Boxer Rebellion. It is regarded as one of the
unequal treaties.
Negotiations during the Boxer Rebellion
The Qing dynasty was by no means defeated when the Allies took control of Beijing. The Allies had to temper the demands they sent in a message to Xi'an to get the
Empress Dowager Cixi to agree with them; for instance, China did not have to give up any land. Many of the Dowager Empress' advisers in the Imperial Court insisted that the war continue against the foreigners, arguing that China could defeat them since it was the disloyal and traitorous people within China who allowed Beijing and Tianjin to be captured by the Allies, and the interior of China was impenetrable. The Dowager was practical and decided that the terms were generous enough for her to acquiesce and stop the war when she was assured of her continued reign.
Signatories
The Boxer Protocol was signed on September 7, 1901, in the Spanish Legation in Beijing. Signatories included:
Foreign powers
*
Kingdom of Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, ...
, represented by the Minister
plenipotentiary
A ''plenipotentiary'' (from the Latin ''plenus'' "full" and ''potens'' "powerful") is a diplomat who has full powers—authorization to sign a treaty or convention on behalf of his or her sovereign. When used as a noun more generally, the wor ...
Bernardo J. de Cólogan y Cólogan, the Doyen of the Diplomatic Corps and the eldest diplomat of the Foreign Compound in Beijing.
*
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was a sovereign state in the British Isles that existed between 1801 and 1922, when it included all of Ireland. It was established by the Acts of Union 1800, which merged the Kingdom of Grea ...
, represented by the Minister plenipotentiary
Ernest Mason Satow.
*
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War ...
, represented by the Minister plenipotentiary
Mikhail Nikolayevich von Giers.
*
Empire of Japan
The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent form ...
, represented by the Minister for Foreign Affairs
Komura Jutarō.
*
French Republic, represented by the Minister plenipotentiary Paul Beau.
*
United States of America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...
, represented by the Special envoy
William Woodville Rockhill.
*
German Empire
The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...
, represented by the Minister plenipotentiary
Alfons Mumm von Schwarzenstein.
*
Austro-Hungarian Empire
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
, represented by the Minister plenipotentiary Baron Moritz Czikann von Wahlborn.
*
Kingdom of Italy
The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to ...
, represented by the Minister plenipotentiary
Giuseppe Salvago Raggi.
*
Kingdom of Belgium, represented by the Minister plenipotentiary
Maurice Joostens.
*
Kingdom of the Netherlands
, national_anthem = )
, image_map = Kingdom of the Netherlands (orthographic projection).svg
, map_width = 250px
, image_map2 = File:KonDerNed-10-10-10.png
, map_caption2 = Map of the four constituent countries shown to scale
, capital = ...
, represented by the Minister plenipotentiary
Fridolin Marinus Knobel
Fridolin Marinus (Frits) Knobel (18 May 1857 – 16 October 1933) was a Dutch diplomat and politician.
He was born in Amsterdam to parents who owned a confectionary and lunch room in the Kalverstraat. After graduating from secondary school he wor ...
.
and
*
Great Qing
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speaki ...
, represented by:
**
Li Hongzhang, Earl of the First Rank Su-i, Tutor of the Heir Apparent, Grand Secretary of the Wen Hua Tien, Minister of Commerce, Superintendent of the Northern Ports, and Governor General of the province of Chihli.
**
Yikuang,
Prince Qing
Prince Qing of the First Rank (Manchu: ; ''hošoi fengšen cin wang''), or simply Prince Qing, was the title of a princely peerage used in China during the Manchu-led Qing dynasty (1636–1912). It was also one of the 12 "iron-cap" princely pe ...
, first Prime Minister of the Imperial Cabinet.
The clauses
450 million
taels of fine silver (around 18,000 tonnes, worth approx.
US$333 million or
£67 million at the
exchange rates of the time) were to be paid as
indemnity
In contract law, an indemnity is a contractual obligation of one Party (law), party (the ''indemnitor'') to Financial compensation, compensate the loss incurred by another party (the ''indemnitee'') due to the relevant acts of the indemnitor or ...
over a course of 39 years to the eight nations involved.
The Chinese paid the indemnity in gold on a rising scale with a 4%
interest charge until the debt was
amortized on December 31, 1940. After 39 years, the amount was almost 1 billion taels (precisely 982,238,150),
or ≈ at 1.2 ozt/tael.
The sum was to be distributed as follows: Russia 28.97%, Germany 20.02%, France 15.75%, Britain 11.25%, Japan 7.73%, United States 7.32%, Italy 7.32%, Belgium 1.89%, Austria-Hungary 0.89%, Netherlands 0.17%, Spain 0.03%, Portugal 0.021%, Sweden and Norway 0.014%.
Other clauses included
* To prohibit the importation of arms and ammunition, as well as materials for the production of arms or ammunition for a period of 2 years, extensible further two years as the Powers saw necessary.
* The destruction of
Taku Forts.
*
Legation Quarters occupied by the Powers shall be considered as a special area reserved for their use under exclusive control, in which Chinese shall not have the right to reside, and which may be defensible. China recognised the right of each Power to maintain a permanent guard in the said Quarters for the defense of its Legation.
* Boxer and government officials were to be punished for crimes or attempted crimes against the foreign governments or their nationals. Many were either sentenced to execution, deported to
Xinjiang
Xinjiang, SASM/GNC: ''Xinjang''; zh, c=, p=Xīnjiāng; formerly romanized as Sinkiang (, ), officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwes ...
, imprisoned for life, forced to commit suicide, or suffered posthumous degradation.
* The "Office in Charge of Affairs of All Nations" (''
Zongli Yamen'') was replaced with a Foreign Office, which ranked above the other six boards in the government.
* The Chinese government was to prohibit forever, under the pain of death, membership in any anti-foreign society, civil service examinations were to be suspended for five years in all areas where foreigners were massacred or subjected to cruel treatment, and provincial and local officials would personally be held responsible for any new anti-foreign incidents.
* The
emperor of China
''Huangdi'' (), translated into English as Emperor, was the superlative title held by monarchs of China who ruled various imperial regimes in Chinese history. In traditional Chinese political theory, the emperor was considered the Son of Heav ...
was to convey his regrets to the
German emperor for the assassination of
Baron von Ketteler.
* The emperor of China was to appoint Na't'ung to be his
envoy extraordinary
Diplomatic rank is a system of professional and social rank used in the world of diplomacy and international relations. A diplomat's rank determines many ceremonial details, such as the order of precedence at official processions, table seatings ...
and direct him to also convey to the
emperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is the monarch and the head of the Imperial Family of Japan. Under the Constitution of Japan, he is defined as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, and his position is derived from "the ...
, his expression of regrets and that of his government at the assassination of Mr. Sugiyama.
* The Chinese government would have to erect on the spot of the assassination of Baron von Ketteler a commemorative arch inscribed in
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
, German, and Chinese.
* Concede the right to the Powers to station troops in the following places:
Hoax demands
The French Catholic vicar apostolic, Msgr. Alfons Bermyn, wanted foreign troops garrisoned in
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Its border includes most of the length of China's border with the country of Mongolia. Inner Mongolia also accounts for a ...
, but the governor refused. Bermyn resorted to lies, and falsely petitioned the Manchu
Enming to send troops to
Hetao where Prince Duan's Mongol troops and General Dong Fuxiang's Muslim troops allegedly threatened Catholics. It turned out that Bermyn had created the incident as a hoax.
One of the false reports claimed that Dong Fuxiang wiped out Belgian missionaries in Mongolia and was going to massacre Catholics in Taiyuan.
Demands rejected by China
The Qing did not capitulate to all the foreign demands. The Manchu Governor
Yuxian was executed, but the Imperial court refused to execute the Chinese General
Dong Fuxiang, although both were anti-foreign and had been accused of encouraging the killing of foreigners during the rebellion. Instead, General Dong Fuxiang lived a life of luxury and power in "exile" in his home province of Gansu.
In addition to sparing Dong Fuxiang, the Qing also refused to exile the Boxer supporter Prince
Zaiyi to Xinjiang, as the foreigners demanded. Instead, he moved to Alashan, west of
Ningxia, and lived in the residence of the local Mongol prince. He then moved to Ningxia during the
Xinhai Revolution
The 1911 Revolution, also known as the Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, ended China's last imperial dynasty, the Manchu-led Qing dynasty, and led to the establishment of the Republic of China. The revolution was the culmination of ...
when the Muslims took control of Ningxia, and finally, moved to Xinjiang with Sheng Yun.
Prince Duan "went no farther than Manchuria for exile, and was heard of there in 1908".
Spending and remittance
On December 28, 1908, the United States remitted $11,961,121.76 of its share of the Indemnity to support the
education of Chinese students in the United States and the construction of
Tsinghua University in Beijing, thanks to the efforts of the Chinese ambassador
Liang Cheng
Liang Cheng (November 30, 1864 – February 3, 1917), courtesy name Liang Chentung, also known as Liang Pi Yuk, and later as Chentung Liang Cheng, was a Chinese ambassador to the United States during the Qing dynasty. He was primarily respon ...
.
When China declared war on Germany and Austria in 1917, it suspended the combined German and Austrian share of the Boxer Indemnity, which totaled 20.91 percent. At the
Paris Peace Conference, Beijing succeeded in completely revoking the German and Austrian shares of the Boxer Indemnity.
The history surrounding Russia's share of the Boxer Indemnity is the most complex of all the nations involved. On December 2, 1918, the Bolsheviks issued an official decree abolishing Russia's share of the Indemnity (146). Upon the arrival of
Lev Karakhan
Lev Mikhailovich Karakhan (''Karakhanian'') Armenian Լևոն Միքայելի Կարախանյան, Russian Лев Михайлович Карахан (20 January 1889, Tiflis – 20 September 1937, Moscow) was a Russian revolutionary and a ...
in Beijing during the fall of 1923, however, it became clear that the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
expected to retain control over how the Russian share was to be spent. Though Karakhan was initially hesitant to follow the United States' example of directing the funds toward education, he soon insisted in private that the Russian share had to be used for that purpose and during February 1924, presented a proposal stating that the "Soviet portion of the Boxer Indemnity would be allocated to Chinese educational institutions." On March 14, 1924, Karakhan completed a draft Sino-Soviet agreement stating "The government of the USSR agrees to renounce the Russian portion of the Boxer Indemnity." Copies of these terms were published in the Chinese press, and the ensuing positive public reaction encouraged other countries to match the USSR's terms. On May 21, 1924, the U.S. Congress agreed to remit to China the final $6,137,552.90 of the American share. Ten days later, however, it became apparent that the USSR did not intend to carry through on its earlier promise of full renunciation. When the final Sino-Soviet agreement was announced, it specified that Russia's share would be used to promote education in China and that the Soviet government would retain control over how the money was to be used, an exact parallel to the U.S. remittance of 1908.
On March 3, 1925, Great Britain completed arrangements to use its share of the Boxer Indemnity to support railway construction in China. On April 12, France asked that its indemnity be used to reopen a defunct Sino-French Bank. Italy signed an agreement on October 1 to spend its share on the construction of steel bridges. The Netherlands' share paid for harbor and land reclamation. The Netherlands also used its indemnity for the establishment of the Sinological Institute at
Leiden University
Leiden University (abbreviated as ''LEI''; nl, Universiteit Leiden) is a public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. The university was founded as a Protestant university in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, as a reward to the city o ...
. The Belgian funds were earmarked to be spent on railway material in Belgium. Finally, Japan's indemnity was transferred to develop aviation in China under Japanese oversight. Once these countries' approximately 40 percent of the Boxer Indemnity was added to Germany's and Austria's combined 20.91 percent, the United States' 7.32 percent, and the Soviet Union's 28.97 percent share, the Beijing government had accounted for over 98 percent of the entire Boxer Indemnity. Hence, by 1927, Beijing had almost completely revoked Boxer Indemnity payments abroad and was successful in redirecting the payments for use within China.
See also
*
China Relief Expedition
The China Relief Expedition was an expedition in China undertaken by the United States Armed Forces to rescue United States citizens, European nationals, and other foreign nationals during the latter years of the Boxer Rebellion, which lasted ...
*
Boxer Rebellion
*
Mutual Protection of Southeast China
*
Beijing Legation Quarter
*
Imperial Decree on events leading to the signing of Boxer Protocol
*
China Consortium
References
External links
Wikisource Xinchou treaty
{{Qing dynasty topics
Unequal treaties
Boxer Rebellion
1901 in China
Peace treaties of China
Peace treaties of Japan
Peace treaties of Germany
Peace treaties of Italy
Treaties of Belgium
Peace treaties of Austria
Peace treaties of Spain
Peace treaties of the Netherlands
Peace treaties of Russia
Peace treaties of the United States
Peace treaties of the United Kingdom
Treaties concluded in 1901
Treaties of the Russian Empire
Treaties of the German Empire
Treaties of Austria-Hungary
Treaties of the Empire of Japan
Treaties of the Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
Treaties of Spain under the Restoration
Treaties of the Netherlands
Treaties of the Qing dynasty
Treaties of the United Kingdom (1801–1922)
History of Beijing