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“...5
Table of the Open Ports of China, with estimated Chinese Population of
each Port and Province—continued.
Note.—British Consular officers are stationed at the ports marked with an
asterisk (*), and also at the following provincial capitals :—Mukden (Manchuria),
Tsinan (Shantung), Chengtu (Szechuan) and Yunnanfu (Yunnan).
(For value of trade at open ports see Table 15, page 63.)
Estimated Foreign Population of China during the Year 1912.
Population.
Japanese ..................75,210
Russian ..................45,908
British ..................8,G90
American ... ... ... 3,809
French ... : ............3,133
German ..................2,817
Portuguese..................2,785
Other nationalities ... ... 2,342
Total......... 144,754
(fi83)
Population.
Anhwei............ 36,000,000
Wuhu* ......... 98,000
Kiangau 26,920,000
Nanking* ......... 269,000
Chinkiang* ... 184,000
Shanghai* ......... 651,000
Soochow 500,000
Chekiang 17,812,000
Hangchow*............”
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“...tic
class of the plain cottons from that country. The effect of Japanese
competition is thus felt more keenly by American than by British
cotton goods. The successful introduction of Japanese drills into
the important market of Hunan is noted by His Majesty's Consul at
Changsha. His Majesty's Consul at Newchwang calls attention to
the fact that Russian cotton goods, especially plain fast black Italians,
which come by railway and thus do not appear in the customs returns,
are to be found in Manchuria competing with British manufactures.
Cotton yam.—The total import of cotton yarn amounted to
306,000,000 lbs. as compared with 248,000,000 lbs. in 1911. The
increase was mainly in Indian and Japanese yam, in both of which
classes business was dull during the first half and brisk during the
last half of the year. In spite of the greatly increased import of
Indian yarn, the trade in this yarn cannot be considered satisfactory.
The competition from the Japanese and especially from the Shanghai...”
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“...excessive issue of paper
notes mentioned on an earlier page of this report. In the first quarter
of the year the Asiatic Petroleum Company's business in Hunan
province was reduced to practically nothing from this cause, and during
the whole year their Yangtse trade was hampered by the expense of
remitting money to Hankow. A serious decline of over 3,000,000
gallons in the import of American oil to Newchwang is accounted
for by the partial diversion of the trade to Dairen as the port of entry
to Manchuria. On the other hand, the reports from Wuchow in the
south, Chefoo in the north and Shasi on the Yangtse, call attention
to increases aggregating nearly 3,500,000 gallons.
Sugar.—The total import of sugar (brown, white, refined and
candy) in 1912 was 5,422,208 cwts., being an advance of about 8 per
cent, on the 1911 import. The trade was checked during the first
half of the year by the unsettled conditions and by the high price
of sugar, but recovered in the second half when prices gradually...”
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“...attended the first season of the direct trade in
soya beans from Manchuria to Europe could not reasonably be expected
to occur frequently; and the experience of the year under review
may serve to illustrate this remark. The favourable circumstances
in 1908-09 were excellent crops in Manchuria, low prices in gold for
the produce, cheap freights and a shortage of oil-bearing seeds in the
home markets. In 1912 the advantage of good crops was offset by
the obstruction to their transport caused by brigandage; exchange
averaged 3s. 0§<2. instead of 2s 8d.; railway and steamer freights
had both been considerably enhanced, while the price of cartage was
seriously increased on account of the dangers of the road; and lastly,
heavy shipments of linseed and hemp and cotton-seed reduced prices
in Europe to such an extent that at times the price of soya beans
in London was actually lower than in Manchuria. Altogether the
bean trade in Manchuria has had to struggle through hard times during
the last two or...”
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“...place seekers, want nothing more than to be left to till
their fields and carry on their trades in peace and safety.
British engineering and Chinese railways.—As regards the special
interest of the British engineering industry in Chinese railways, as
distinct from the general interests of British manufacturers and
merchants, the following observations are submitted:—
Roughly speaking, out of nearly 6,000 miles of railways now open
to traffic in China (including about 1,800 miles of lines in Manchuria,
which from a commercial point of view might, perhaps, be more
appropriately regarded as Japanese or Russian railways), some 1,200
to 1,300 miles have been constructed by British enterprise and
British capital. On such railways British types and standards have
naturally become established, and the indiscriminate competition of
Continental or American * makers would only lead to difficulties and
confusion. A word of warning, however, may not be out of place
in this connection. At the present...”
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