Western steamship companies and Chinese seaborne trade during the late Qing dynasty,1840–1911

Abstract

This research note draws upon secondary sources to describe the role of western shipping companies in China during the late stages of the Qing dynasty, 1840–1911. Driven by industrialisation in Europe and North America and a rapid increase in global trade, the world shipping industry expanded greatly during this period. Keen to take advantage of this growth, the British, French, German, American and Japanese governments adopted policies designed to develop and support their national shipping industries, and to help them access the new markets in China. As a result, western shipping companies quickly came to dominate both coastal and international shipping in China. This pre-eminence is outlined in an overview, and then in more detail in three chronological sections, before possible lines of research-based enquiry are identified in the conclusion.