国际礼法观:清代中国的朝贡与条约

朝贡与条约并不是平行无关也不是绝然对立,其背后是中华天下礼秩序与欧洲国际法秩序两种国际秩序之间在整个清代中国从接触碰撞到互动博弈,再到渗透兼容的漫长过程。清代中国最初在传统朝贡之外曾与俄国缔结的平等条约并未对中华天下礼秩序造成实质性影响;道咸年间因战败与列强加速缔结了各类不平等的条约、同光时期“有约国”逐步取代“朝贡国”,致使中国丧失“华夷”话语,中华天下礼秩序土崩瓦解。然而,中华天下礼秩序的道义精神却消融于欧洲国际法秩序的强力扩张中,在清末中国形成了义力并举的国际礼法观,进而催生了不平等条约概念,推动了国际法秩序在全球范围内的发展完善。

The International Li-Law:Tributes and Treaties in the Qing Dynasty

Behind the tributes and treaties were the long process from collisions and interaction to penetration and compatibilities between the Chinese World's Li Order and the European International Law Order in the whole Qing Dynasty.In the early Qing Dynasty,the equal treaties China had concluded with Russia,in addition to the traditional tributary system,did not have any substantial impact on Chinese World's Li Order.During the periods of Daoguang and Xianfeng Emperor,China accelerated the conclusion of various unequal treaties with foreign powers due to its defeat.In the periods of Tongzhi and Guangxu Emperor,although the relations between China and foreign powers were somewhat eased,the“Treaty Nations”gradually replaced the“Tributary States”,and the Order of Chinese World's Li finally collapsed.However,China formed the ideas of international Li(礼)—Law with Yi(义)and Li(力)simultaneously in the late Qing Dynasty,which gave birth to the concept of unequal treaties and promoted the improvement of international law order on a global scale.