民国时期中外各方关于退还庚款的不同应对
2020-03-18童锋夏泉
童锋 夏泉
摘 要 民国时期,西方列强退还庚款旨在发展中国教育事业。但是在实际过程中,西方列强有不同的应对,却暗藏着相同的动机。西方列强一直将远东地区作为利益博弈的主战场,因此一个渐进式改革的民国政府才最符合他们的外交战略。民国政府、地方军阀从维护政权和阶级利益角度迎合西方列强的退回庚款的反应,并从中调解教育界的反抗言行;中國教育界以强硬的姿态据理力争西方列强退还庚款用于发展教育事业,从客观上发展了中国教育事业,促进了中国教育界人士民间外交意识的觉醒和中华民族独立意识的崛起。
关键词 民国时期 庚子赔款 中外各方 不同应对
Abstract In the early Republic of China, the western powers returned the Boxer indemnity to develop China's education cause. But in practice, the western powers had different responses, but shared the same motive. Western powers had long regarded the Far East as the main battlefield of the game of interests, so a progressively reformed government of Republic of China was best suited to their diplomatic strategy. The government of the Republic of China and the local warlords responded to the return of Boxer indemnity by western powers from the perspective of maintaining political power and class interests, and mediated the resistant words and actions of the education field. Chinese education field argued that the returned indemnity by western powers should be used for education development, which objectively developed China's education cause and promoted the wake of Chinese educators people-to-people diplomacy consciousness and the rise of independent consciousness of the Chinese nation.
Keyword Republic of China; Boxer indemnity; Chinese and foreign parties; different responses
一、研究缘起及论题的提出
民国初年,西方列强利用退还庚款在华兴办教育,这是近代中外关系和近代教育史上一件影响深远的历史事件,并引发学界对相关论题进行了探讨。但对于西方列强为什么要退还部分庚款,各方的反应真实情况如何?退还的庚款和兴办教育是如何联系在一起的?学术界甚至有似是而非的观点。有鉴于此,笔者根据《申报》《民国日报》等报刊资料,同时结合已公布的部分中方档案,对上述论题进行考论。
1900年,八国联军武力侵略中国。1901年9月7日,由英、美、俄、法、德、意、日、奥、比、西、荷等国公使组成的外交使团,在团长葛络干主持下,与中国全权大臣庆亲王奕劻和李鸿章签署和约,史称《辛丑条约》。《辛丑条约》第六款议定,清政府……
