RUSSIAN-CHINESE MARITIME TRANSIT SYSTEM IN THE 1880s AND 1890s

Abstract

Maritime trade was an important part of the Russian-Chinese trade in the second half of the 19th century. During this period, the Voluntary fleet began transporting cargo between Russian and Chinese ports and the maritime transit system was created. Using the system analysis, the article analyzes the structure of maritime trade and demonstrates the model of the sea transit system of Russian-Chinese trade in the 1880s and 1890s. The main structural elements of maritime trade were the direction in which goods were transited, the conditions for cargo transportation, the interaction of the Voluntary fleet and Russian trading houses in China, competition for freight rates in Chinese ports, organizational issues, and the content of trade. The correlation of these features shows the construction of the maritime transit system. In conclusion, the author demonstrates the main advantages of sea transit over land and the main disadvantages of this direction. The maritime transit system was more effective than the transcontinental Russian-Chinese trade. By the sea, Chinese tea was delivered to the Russian market quickly and cheaply. At the same time, Russia did not have a product that could be sent to China by sea. This was the main problem of the Russia-Chinese maritime trade in the second half of 19th century. Thus, the study demonstrates a combination of levels of a new methodological approach to the history of trade in Russia and China, thereby enriching the historiography of the theme.