COMMERCE

725

foreign syndieate is working for petroleum . Copper ore is plentiful in Yunnan, where the copper-mining industry has long existed ; near Kiukiang rich veins of copper ore are now lieing worked, and near the city of Mengtsz tin, lead, and silver are found. Antimony ore is exported from Hunan. In Tam Chiu (Hainan) mining for tin and gold has been begun under the Chinese Board of Works ; silver, copper, and lead are known to exist in the island. Many mining concessions have been granted, but in the majority of cases, the foreign concessio)iaires have failed to make any practical use of the concessions granted to them, although the first 3 coal mines named above are all foreign enterprises.

The mineral exports of China in two years are given as follows : —

Exports

1910

1011

Tons.

£

Tons.

£

Antimony :

Begulus and reflnecl .

6,538

85,503

6,878

95,310

Ore

Iron : Pig and manufactnred

5,670

60,174

6,704

r.3,286

64,348

213,097

60,7.-5

214,877

Ore

130,466

30,708

110,521

33,648

Lead

2

30

11

155

„ Oro

5,004

16,003

5,325

16.711

QuicksilveT ....

48

0,207

IS

3,916

Tin in slabs

6,407

840,023

5,060

866,451

Zinc .....

206

2,604

600

11,976

M Ore

0,631

15,581

4,705

6,082

Tin is the most important mineral export. It is mined in Yunnan, and through Mengtsz it reaches Hong Kong, whence it is shipped to foreign countries. Coal exports are increasing rapidly, amounting in 1911 to 326,610 tons, value 256,640^ as against 318,124 tons, value 229,602Z. in 1910.

Commerce.

Foreign trade of China (exclusive of bullion) : —

—

1907

£

67,664,222 42,061,8(13

1908

1909

1910

1911

Net Imports . Exports

£ 52,600,730 36,888,050

£ 54,477,665 44,139,689

£ 62,331,472 51,273,654

£ 63,481,130 50,803,081

Trade by countries in '

1911 : —

-

Imports from

Exports to

Total Trade

£

£

£

United Kingdom .

12,116,701

2,328,469

14,445,260

Hong Kong .

19,959,611

13,057,619

33,917,230

India

4,986,003

782,196

5,768,289

Russia and Sil)r>ria

2,324,571

6,828,414

9,152,985

France .

406,376

5,264,558

5.670,934

fiprmany

3,023,463

1,897,779

4,021,242

Belijinin .

1,463,142

011,685

2,374,827

Italy

90,804

1.258,202

1,349,186

United States

5,406,202

4,572,083

10,069,185

Japan

10,704,361

8,353,937

19,058,298

The imports into China from Hong Kong come originally from, and the exports from China to that colony are further carried on to. Great Britain,

Germany, France, America, Austr^ia, India, the Straits, and other countries.