Zongli Yamen

The Zǒnglǐ Yamen (Chinese总理 衙门) was the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of imperial China in the late Qing Dynasty. Outfitted it was by Prince Gong in implementing the Treaty of Tianjin in 1858, the institution responsible for the China of Equal diplomatic relations with other states. Before the maintenance of contacts with foreign countries had mainly been in the hands of the Ministry of Rites.

Name Meaning

Zongli the traditional abbreviation of the official Chinese name Zongli geguo Shiwu is yamen yamen (Chinese总理 各国 事务 衙门), which means " Office of the interests of all nations." The correspondence in the Manchurian, the second official language of the empire was Geren Gurun i baita be uherileme icihiyara Yamun .. The term Yamen was borrowed from the traditional Chinese term for imperial authorities. Because of today's meaning of the word Zongli the name was sometimes misunderstood as a term for the seat of Prime Minister.

Tasks

The forced by the Treaty of Tianjin of Equal diplomatic relations with other states disagreed diametrically opposed to the concept of Sinocentrism and therefore aroused within the Qing aristocracy strong aversion. This was reflected not least in the importance of the newly Zongli Yamen down: Inside the Chinese authorities hierarchy he occupied a comparatively low status; the foreign policy of the empire was by no means alone in his hand, but still was under the prerogative of the emperor. The policy of Zongli Yamen were often provided by actions of influential Qing official Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang in the shade. Part of it had to share staff with other authorities. In 1901, he was the Foreign Office (Chinese外务 部, Wàiwùbù ) replaced that was the other Reich ministries equal.