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Behind-the-Scenes Maneuvers in the Qing Dynasty’s Diplomatic Relations with France during the Confrontation of 1883: The Manipulation of Public Opinion, Lobbying Activities and Policies toward France
Get PDFDuring the Sino-French confrontation in the summer of 1883, not only Chinese diplomats overseas, but also several mandarins in China tried to take advantage of the conflict brewing between the French government and Parliament to make gains in their diplomatic negotiations with the French side. In particular, the Chinese minister in Paris, Tseng Chi-tse, attempted to manipulate French public opinion and lobby members of the Parliament to influence French policy towards Vietnam.
To begin with, the present article elaborates how such activities were conducted and the responses of the Chinese and French governments at the time, followed by a clarification of the ways in which these activities influenced Chinese policy toward France, and finally considering their significance for the overall character of the Qing Dynasty throughout the 1880s.
As Tseng Chi-tse kept constant watch in Paris over the conflict between the French government and Parliament, and took every opportunity to influence French policy towards Vietnam, the Superintendent of Northern Trade Li Hung-chang, while not always complicit with Tseng, did cooperate with Tseng’s Parliamentary lobbying strategy by refusing to further negotiate in deadlocked talks with French Minister Arthur Tricou, by abruptly departing for Tientsin in July 1883.
After the conclusion of the Treaty of Hue of 1883, Tseng held high expectations for an anti-government movement by the opposition forces in Parliament, which did not go undetected by the French Minister of Foreign Affairs. After winning a vote of confidence, the French government proceeded to use it to put pressure on China. After the resumption of Parliament, Tseng countered by launching an intense campaign to publish diplomatic documents damaging to the French government and winning praise in the press for brandishing a “new diplomacy.” The author concludes that it was this “new diplomacy” that provides a significant clue for reassessing Chinese diplomacy during the 1880s.journal articl
