The Formation of European Settlements in China in the Second Half of the 19th–the First Half of the 20th Century and the Features of Their Development in Manchuria

Abstract

The article looks at the formation of European settlements in China in the second half of the 19th–the first half of the 20th century. There are three phases of the development of these settlements: the beginning of limited point penetration into China in the middle of the 16th–the middle of the 19th century, the formation of open ports in the middle–the end of the 19 century and “sharing of the Chinese cake” at the end of the 19th–beginning of the 20th centuries. The formation of foreign settlements in Manchuria in the late 19th–first half of the 20th century, where five stages of development are highlighted, is analyzed in more detail. The first period (1897–1905) includes the laying of the Chinese Eastern Railway (CER) and South Manchuria Railway (SMR) and the formation of the first settlements under Russian control. The second period (1905–1920) includes the transformation of Harbin (the central station of the CER) into an open city and the transition of the SMR under Japanese control, where the active development of Changchun began. The third stage (1920–1932) includes the gradual Japanese expansion in the region and the development of Chinese and foreign presence on the CER. The fourth stage (1932–1945) is characterized by the creation of the puppet state of Japan Manchukuo with the center in Changchun and the gradual extrusion of foreign companies and representative offices from the region. The features of the development of the cities in Manchuria are identified. The formation of new settlements, that are not related to the existing Chinese cities, as well as the formation of a city-planning structure at the early stages of construction by Russian engineers, is highlighted.