盛宣懷與中國實業利權之維護

Sheng Xuanhuai and the Defense of China's Commercial Rights

10.6353/BIMHAS.199706.0001

王爾敏(Erh-Min Wang)

近代史研究所集刊

27期（1997 / 06 / 01）

1 - 43

繁體中文

鴉片戰爭後，已有少數國人有時代醒覺，且見及西方工商立國之優長。第二次鴉片戰爭後，更多國人看到英國商人在中國口岸及長江內河之橫行無阻，因而覺悟到中國利權之喪失，以及英國在華商貿特權之擴張。自1860年代起，中國先知先覺之士開始有維護國家利權的觀念，其中尤以李鴻章、鄭觀應、王韜以及盛宣懷等人爲先驅者。盛宣懷於光緒二年(1876)因收回上海吳淞鐵路，首先提出「收回自主之權」一義，當是主權思想先驅者中最重要之一人。 盛宣懷經營輪船公司，與怡和、太古競爭；經營電報公司，與大東、大北競爭，與洋商公司爭奪利權的經驗豐富。但凡盛氏出面競爭，即使洋商已在中國境內佔盡地利，亦不可能再有更大擴張。 盛宣懷與洋商爭奪利權，最成功的手法是他以商人身分勇於任事。他認爲凡攸關中國工商利權之事，均應推給盛宣懷，由其在商言商逕與外國銀行企業公司談判；清廷不可接受外國公使的談判要求。盛宣懷另一特別手法是，與外國公司談判路礦等合同，必定限於技術器材範圍；凡有借洋款，均不用於購地，購地全由中國自備股本支付，以免洋人藉口侵地；且凡立合資合同，俱劃明界限，即造路不兼開礦，開礦只限礦砂，不兼設煉鐵廠。且凡訂約，鐵路必畫定一線，不及他線，礦權則指一地一縣，決不漫指某省礦權。以此種種限制洋人擴張利權。 盛宣懷頗重視與洋商對等利益之商業合作，與怡和、太古、大東、大北，均能做到彼此互利，避免惡性競爭。此亦在商言商手法，決非對外屈膝以從。

The Opium War awakened a small number of people in China to the reality of the Western nations' superiority in industry and business. After the Second Opium War, British merchants could sail to designated treaty-ports and along the Yangtze River. Far many more people began to realize how much the British merchants had gained in privileges and how much China had lost in their economic rights. Famous people like Li Hongzhang, Zheng Guanying, Wang Tao and Sheng Xuanhuai began to plead for the defense of China's sovereignty. Sheng was the most important pioneer; early in 1876, he already proposed to ”take back our sovereignty” in handling the purchase of the foreign-built Wusong Railroad. Sheng set up China's first shipping company and almost beat his British and American competitors; he also set up China's first telegraph company and thereafter forced both Danish and British businessmen into cooperation on his own terms. Though unable to gain a monopoly, Sheng was at least able to contain the expansion of his business competitors despite the latter's enjoyment of initial privileges. Sheng urged the government to decline any dealings with Western diplomats on business adventures and to allow him to negotiate as a private merchant with foreign banks and enterprises. Moreover, when negotiating foreign contracts, he was able to limit their influence to technology and equipment only. Whenever negotiating a foreign debt, he would limit the use of the borrowed sum to anything but the purchase of land; and whenever negotiating a joint contract, he would limit the concession to one kind of enterprise and thereby preempt foreigners' encroachment on other rights. Sheng also sought to reach agreements with Western companies in order to avoid cut-throat competition. We should therefore treat Sheng as a hero in defending China's national interests rather than a corrupted official interested only in personal gains.

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