FOREIGNERS IN CHINA.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 209, 3 September 1900, Page 5

FOREIGNERS IN CHINA.

"A German newspaper publishes some interesting statistics concerning the.number of foreigners in the Chinese treaty ports at the end of last year, and showing the increase in number of each nationality during the previous"twelve months. The British are well at the head of the list with a population of 5362, in the "settlements,".and this is 414 more than were numbered in 1898. The Russians, however,, seem to have been most energetic in spreading their trade aud general interests, for whereas there. Were in IS9B but 165 of the Czar's subjects in all the ports like Tientsin, Shanghai and Hankow, open to .foreigners, 1899 found their numbers risen to 1621. Japanese, too. flocked in numbers to these settlements, their strength, 2440 in 1899, having increased by 742. Next to the British and Japanese, the Americans are in greatest force, with 21135 "advance agents," but most of the new emi-grant*;.--.from the United States to tbe Far East during the year seem to have gone to Manila. There were 1423 Portuguese, 11S3 French and 1134 Germans among these foreigners, Spanish, Scandinavians, Belgians, Danes, Italians and Dutch helping* to make up the remainder of the 17,193, the total strength of this foreign population. The figures apply solely to treaty ports, and Port Arthur, Wei-ha.i-wei, Kiao-chau and Hongkong and similar "concessions" or possessions are omitted. There were 933 foreign firms established in the ports, 401 being British, 195 Japanese—an increase of 81 during the year—lls German, 76 French and 70 American. Only 19 Russian firms do business in the porta, so that the Muscovite has comparatively small commercial interests in China proper. On the other hand, the Russians are said to control a great deal of the native trade of the north and north-west, provinces, and more especially of Manchuria and Mongolia.