TELDAP Collections
A Slice of Wonder
Facets of Taiwan
Exhibitions
| A Century of Resilient Tradition: Exhibition of the Republic of China's Diplomatic Archives |
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Introduction The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) has not only inherited a fine diplomatic tradition that began with the nation’s founding, but also accumulated a vast quantity of precious historical documents that dates back to the establishment of the Tsung-li ya-men (Office of Foreign Affairs) in 1861. MOFA’s impressive archives include more than 3,000 treaties, agreements, contracts and regulations, 615 boundary and site maps, and over 180,000 volumes of other documents that faithfully record the turbulent progress the Republic has made in its quest for diplomatic equality and independent sovereignty. With this glorious tradition behind them and guided by the current policy of ‘viable diplomacy’, the entire staff at MOFA works diligently to expand Taiwan’s bilateral relations and international participation. They are helping to shape the Republic of China into a peacemaker, a provider of humanitarian aid, a promoter of cultural exchange, a creator of new technology and business opportunities, a standard bearer at the leading edge of Chinese culture, and a nation that is both respected by and inspiring to people around the world. On the auspicious occasion of the centennial of the Republic of China, MOFA has carefully sorted through its archives and, with the National Palace Museum, coorganised A Century of Resilient Tradition: Exhibition of the Republic of China’s Diplomatic Archives. The exhibition falls into five sections: Lessons of History, Striving for Equality, Retrocession of Taiwan, Era of Resilience, and Diplomatic Legacy. On display are 88 items, including treaties, maps and documents, together with three charts: List of Ch’ing Treaties and Agreements Preserved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China, List of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China, and Countries /Territories Granting Visa Waivers or Landing Visas to ROC Passport Holders. Rare photographs are also on display to highlight the relevant moments in history. We hope the exhibition will enable people from all walks of life in Taiwan, as well as friends from abroad, to better appreciate the history of the nation’s diplomatic efforts, which were made out of a belief in freedom and equality, as well as the significance of these invaluable documents. It is also hoped that, with its fine diplomatic tradition and resources, the nation will go on to make even greater achievements through its latest approach to foreign affairs: viable diplomacy. Lessons of History The Republic of China was born out of the weakness of the Ch'ing Empire, as well as invasion and repression by foreign powers. In his book, Fundamentals of National Reconstruction , Dr. Sun Yat-sen wrote,'I made up my mind to overthrow the Ch'ing Empire and establish a republic after we lost the 1885 Sino-French War. 'In his last will and testament, he urged his fellow citizens to make' abrogating the unequal treaties' their top priority. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs keeps in its archives the originals of some 173 treaties, agreements, contracts and regulations concluded during the late Ch'ing period, which are listed in the chart. Among the treaties selected for the exhibition are: the Treaty of Nanking signed between China and Great Britain in 1842, the earliest of the unequal treaties; the Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Commerce signed between China and France in 1885, which inspired Dr. Sun Yat-sen to launch a revolution; the Final Protocol of 1901, which had the largest number of signatories and the biggest indemnity; and the Burlingame Treaty signed between China and the United States in 1868, which was signed in proxy by an American. On display are 25 treaties and documents, and 12 relevant boundary or site maps. Most of the treaties and agreements signed by the Ch'ing Empire were unequal. The signatories included Russia, Germany, France, Great Britain, the United States, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Switzerland, Sweden, Peru, Denmark, Brazil, Mexico, Congo, and Korea. It demonstrates how formidable a task the Republic of China's diplomacy was right from the very beginning. Diplomatic breakthroughs could only be achieved by removing the heavy shackles of history.
The first unequal treaty signed by the Ch'ing Court in the wake of the Opium War, with, among others, reparations and the cession of Hong Kong to Great Britain.
The treaty signed as the result of the Second Opium War, with the cession of Kowloon Peninsula to Great Britain.
One of the two treaties signed as the result of the Second Opium War that leads to the establishment of Tsung-li ya-men (Office of Foreign Affairs).
The first relatively equal treaty in the late Ch'ing dynasty that was signed in proxy by the outgoing American Minister to China, Mr. Anson Burlingame, commissioned by the Ch'ing Court.
The treaty resulting in the Amur Annexation, in which parts of Outer Manchuria were ceded to Russia.
This treaty, not ratified by the Ch'ng Court, cedes vast expanses of land west of Ili and along the Tekes River to Russia upon the return of Ili.
Map attached to the Treaty of Livadia.
One of the few diplomatic successes of the Ch'ing Court in which the eastern part of the Ili Basin is retroceded.
The agreement that concedes Great Britain privileged access to Yunnan and Tibet.
The originating article that exempts inland duties on imported goods into China.
The treaty in which the Ch'ing Court forfeits its suzerainty over Vietnam to France, which inspires Dr. Sun Yat-sen to pursue revolutionary course against the Ch'ing Empire.
The demarcation records that define the boundary between Yunnan and Vietnam after the Ch'ing Court forfeits its suzerainty over Vietnam to France.
The treaty in which the Ch'ing Court concedes to transfer, in perpetuity, Macau's administrative rights to Portugal.
A map that illustrates the Portuguese infringement upon the territories beyond Macau's borders into Kuangtung Province.
The reference map used by the Ch'ing Court for negotiations with Portugal on the boundary of Macau.
The map that depicts the British inroads entering southern Tibet during the late Ch'ing Dynasty.
The first unequal treaty regarding Tibet in which the Ch'ing Court forfeits its suzerainty over Sikkim to Great Britain.
The second unequal treaty regarding Tibet which grants trading rights to the British in Tibet.
The third unequal treaty regarding Tibet which grants the British exclusive rights on mining, trading, and land ownership in Tibet.
The Ch'ing Court, in the wake of the Tripartite Intervention, pays an additional 30 million taels of silver to Japan to retrocede Liaotung Peninsula, originally ceded to Japan under the Treaty of Shimonoseki.
A secret treaty that, among others, permits the construction of Chinese Eastern Railway in Manchuria by Russia.
The convention that concedes to Germany railway building and coal mining rights in Shantung Province and thus consolidates German influence in Shantung.
The treaty that expands Russian influence from Northern to Southern Manchuria.
The treaty that leases New Territory to Great Britain for 99 years.
The convention that grants Great Britain partial control over Bohai Gulfthe gateway to Northern China.
The convention that consolidates French influence in Southern China via the mandatory lease of Kuang-Chou-Wan.
The unequal treaty resulting from the Boxer Rebellion, with the most signatories and largest reparations in Chinese history.
An agreement in which Russia, under international pressure, withdraws from Manchuria.
The origin and source of funding for Tsing Hua University.
The treaty that makes Outer Mongolia a Russian sphere of influence. Striving for Equality The Republic of China (ROC) took part in both World Wars, contributing to the allied war effort at a heavy cost. Through the hard work of our diplomats, Dr. Sun Yat-sen's last will and testament – to have the unequal treaties abrogated – was finally realised. This section starts with the unequal Sino-Japanese Treaty of 1915, concerning Shantung Province, which led to the 'May Fourth Movement' immediately after World War I. Telegrams from the ROC Delegation to the Paris Peace Conference, where Minister of Foreign Affairs Lou Tseng-Tsiang refused to sign the Treaty of Versailles, are also on display. Due to the efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the ROC first abrogated consular jurisdiction and regained tariff autonomy from foreign powers through the Sino-German Agreement, the first equal treaty, signed in 1921. In 1922, the United States, Belgium, Great Britain, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and Portugal signed the Nine-Power Treaty with China, agreeing to respect ROC's sovereignty, independence, and territorial and administrative integrity. This laid the foundation for a series of other equal treaties, including the Agreement regarding the Rendition of the Belgian Concession in Tientsin of 1929, and the Sino-British Convention for the Rendition of Weihaiwei of 1930. The United States and Great Britain both signed equal treaties with the ROC on January 11, 1943, prior to the end of World War II, to replace the old unequal ones. Nine countries – Belgium, Norway, Canada, Sweden, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Denmark and Portugal – soon followed suit. The government proclaimed January 11 as 'Justice Day' to celebrate the fact that, almost overnight, it had shaken off the shackles it had been burdened with for 100 years. This section displays 23 treaties and documents that highlight the arduous lengths the Ministry of Foreign Affairs went to in order to strive for equality for the Republic of China.
The treaties in which Japan demands all the original German rights in Shantung Province, and the Chinese government is forced to accept the expansion of Japanese influence into Southern Manchuria and Inner Mongolia.
The ROC Delegation to the Paris Conference reports on the unsuccessful effort to secure Chinese rights on Shantung Province and its decision on the refusal to sign the Treaty of Versailles.
The peace treaty signed after World War I between Austria and the Allied Powers, including the Republic of China.
The peace treaty signed after World War I between Hungary and the Allied Powers, including the Republic of China.
The first bilateral equal treaty since the establishment of the Republic of China.
A treaty giving international acknowledgment to respect the sovereignty, independence, and the territorial integrity of the Republic of China.
The first treaty reinstating Chinese tariff autonomy after the unification of China by the Nationalist Government.
The first agreement on the retrocession of concession after the unification of China by the National Government.
The first convention on the retrocession of Leased Territory after the unification of China by the National Government. New Treaties of Equality Based on the ideals of Dr. Sun Yat-sen and the progress of the Northern Expedition, the National Government started in 1927 to seek the retrocession of foreign concessions and international settlements at treaty ports along the coast. It also strove to regain the autonomy of tariff-duty management, and to actively conclude new equal treaties with foreign powers. This endeavour was interrupted by the outbreak of the War of Resistance against Japan (a.k.a. the Sino-Japanese War of 1937). With the eruption of the Pacific War at the end of 1941, the ROC played a heroic and colossal role in the fight against the Japanese and gradually rose to become one of the world's Big Four. This development also helped accelerate the National Government's negotiations with other nations for the annulment of various special privileges they enjoyed in China. On January 11, 1943, the government signed the Treaty for the Relinquishment of Extraterritorial Rights in China and the Regulation of Related Matters with the United States (a.k.a. the Sino-American New Equal Treaty), and with the United Kingdom (a.k.a. the Sino-British New Equal Treaty), respectively, in Washington, D.C., and Chungking. This marked the beginning of the end of the era of unequal treaties, and set a milestone in the efforts for their abrogation. Belgium, Norway, Canada, Sweden, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Denmark and Portugal soon followed suit by signing equal treaties with the Republic of China, relinquishing a wide range of special privileges, such as extraterritoriality, unilateral most-favoured-nation treatment and inland navigation rights. The Republic of China finally rid itself of the hundred years of shackles and fulfilled the last wish and testament of Dr. Sun Yat-sen. To celebrate the signing of the new equal treaties with the United States and the United Kingdom, the National Government proclaimed January 11 as'Justice Day', and February 5-7, 1943, as a three-day national holiday. Throughout the country people could be heard singing the'Song in Celebration of the New Equal Treaties'. The ROC government also issued a set of six stamps in commemoration of new equal treaties on July 7, 1945.
Retrocession of Taiwan On December 9, 1941, the government of the Republic of China (ROC) officially declared war on Japan, Germany and Italy. The ROC Declaration of War against Japan states that 'all treaties, agreements and contracts concerning Sino-Japanese relations are hereby annulled.'
The treaty that cedes Taiwan and the Pescadores to Japan.
'All the territories Japan has stolen from the Chinese, such as Manchuria, Formosa, and the Pescadores, shall be restored to the Republic of China.'
Article 8：
'It is recognized that all treaties, conventions and agreements concluded before December 9, 1941, between Japan and China have become null and void as a consequence of the war.' Era of Resilience After the government relocated to Taiwan in 1949, the country faced many daunting challenges and diplomatic setbacks, yet remained resilient and unfazed. Initially, the government worked to safeguard its seat in the United Nations and to maintain relations with its diplomatic allies. Its next main focus was to obtain aid from its allies, and ensure the security and stability necessary for the development of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu.
The Republic of China is one of the founding members of the United Nations.
A treaty nullified by the government of the Republic of China on February 25, 1953.
The keystone of Sino-American bilateral trade and commerce.
The basic document for the United States to provide economic aid to the Republic of China.
The document lays a solid foundation for Taiwan's booming agricultural development.
The first diplomatic success after the Republic of China government relocates to Taiwan that enables ROC to keep its UN membership for two more decades.
This treaty safeguards the peace, security, and defense of the Taiwan Strait during the Cold War era, but was terminated on December 16, 1979.
The first case in which an important regional organization is established in Taiwan.
A joint agreement signed by the Republic of China, the United States of America, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Asian Development Bank to set up the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center at Shanhua, Tainan, Taiwan.
The first agreement the Republic of China signs with countries lacking diplomatic relations on the establishment of representative offices.
The first agreement the Republic of China signs with countries lacking diplomatic relations on functional exemptions, privileges, and immunities for each other’s representative offices and personnel.
The first free trade agreement the ROC signs with foreign countries.
The Republic of China's participation, for the first time, in a meeting of a UN specialised agency since the ROC's withdrawal from the United Nations, in this case as an observer. Instruments of Ratification for 2 UN International Covenants on Human Rights
Diplomatic Legacy After defeat by the joint British and French forces in 1860, the Ch'ing imperial court set up the Tsung-li yamen (Office of Foreign Affairs) on March 11, 1861, the first such institution in China's modern history. As dictated by the foreign powers, the Ch'ing dynasty renamed this office the Waiwu pu (Ministry of External Affairs) on July 24, 1901, which took precedence over the other six ministries. This change was clearly recorded in the Boxer Protocol signed on September 7 that year. When the Republic of China was established in 1912, Provisional President Sun Yat-sen designated Wang Chung-hui as its first foreign minister. When the government relocated to Peking in March that year, Lou Tseng-Tsiang then took over the office. On April 8, 1913, Brazil and Peru became the first countries to formally recognise the Republic of China. Before the government of the Republic of China relocated to Taipei in 1949, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs carefully shipped most of its archives and documents, including those from the Tsung-li ya-men and the Waiwu pu, to Taiwan. The number of files in the archives has increased exponentially over the years, making it a treasure trove for the study of modern diplomatic history.
The first government agency established by the Ch'ing Court to deal with foreign countries on an equal basis.
Text and images are provided by National Palace Museum
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visits (since January 2011)