International Law As World Order In Late Imperial China (sinica Leidensia)

International Law as World Order in Late Imperial China Sinica Leidensia Edited by Barend J. ter Haar In co-operation with P.K. Bol, W.L. Idema, D.R. Knechtges, E.S.Rawski, E. Zürcher, H.T. Zurndorfer VOLUME 78 International Law as World Order in Late Imperial China Translation, Reception and Discourse, 1847-1911 By Rune Svarverud LEIDEN • BOSTON 2007 On the cover: World order in China. The title of this map is “Partitioning China like a melon” and is reproduced in E’shi jingwen from a British newspaper. A Russian bear, an English dog, a French frog, a German snake, a Japanese sun, and an American crow represent the partakers in the partitioning of China. This partitioning of China is the result of the 1895 American-Japanese treaty, according to the editors of the E’shi ingwen. (E’shi jingwen ঎ࠃᤞፊ 15 December 1903) This book is printed on acid-free paper. ISSN: 0169-9563 ISBN: 978 90 04 16019 4 Copyright 2007 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands. Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Hotei Publishing, IDC Publishers, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers and VSP. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Koninklijke Brill NV provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change. printed in the netherlands In memory of my mother, Åse Svarverud, and my father, Leif Svarverud CONTENTS Acknowledgements .............................................................................. ix CHAPTER ONE – CHINESE WORLD ORDER: PERSPECTIVES AND FRAMEWORKS ......................................................................................... 1 Linguistic challenges in Sino-Western transfer of ideas................ 5 The tribute system and the traditional Chinese world order .......... 8 Chinese trade as diplomacy ........................................................... 12 International law as world order .................................................... 16 CHAPTER TWO – INTERNATIONAL LAW AS DISCIPLINE WEST AND EAST ................................................................................... International theory ........................................................................ The early international systems ..................................................... Jus gentium of the Middle Ages .................................................... The international system of the Spanish Age and the first theories of international relations ............................. The 1648 Peace of Westphalia and the beginning of a new international order ............................ The international order 1648 to 1815, and the first Chinese encounters with the international order of the West..................... Consolidation of the 19th century order of international practice The end of the period of classical international law..................... The Western discourse on international law in the East .............. 21 22 28 29 32 35 37 45 49 52 CHAPTER THREE – THE EARLY INTRODUCTION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW: TRANSLATIONS AND LANGUAGE ............................................... 69 The language of Qing China and e