半殖民主義與新聞勢力範圍：二十世紀早期在華的英美報業之爭

Semi-Colonialism and Journalistic Sphere of Influence: British-American Press Competition in Early Twentieth-Century China

張詠(Yong Z. VOLZ) ； 李金銓(Chin-Chuan LEE)

《傳播與社會學刊》 17期 (2011/07) Pp. 165-190

https://doi.org/10.30180/CS.201107_(17).0008

摘要

後殖民主義研究着重探討殖民者與被殖民者的博弈，卻忽視了殖民體系中列強彼此的競爭。本文透過眾多第一手資料，包括英美編輯的回憶錄、通信及筆記、在華英文報紙，以及中國官方出版物，探討二十世紀早期英美兩國在華報業的意識形態角力。分析顯示，在殖民化過程中，英美在華的報紙一方面凝聚其在華僑民，以鞏固各自的利益，另一方面維護本國殖民擴張的行徑，導致英美殖民勢力在華重新分配，而整個殖民的格局也跟着重新劃定。美國在華報紙秉承進步主義，高唱「門戶開放」政策，與英國傳統殖民政策針鋒相對，開啓新型的帝國主義意識形態，終於取代了英國在華的報紙優勢。

關鍵字

殖民主義 ； 半殖民主義 ； 報業競爭 ； 外國在華報業 ； 二十世紀早期

並列摘要

In early twentieth-century China, various Western powers published more than 100 foreign-language newspapers in major Chinese cities. What was the motivation for starting these foreign-language newspapers? What kind of readership did the newspapers serve? More pointedly, what was their role in the imperial-colonial configuration? This paper focuses on British and American competition over English-language newspaper publishing in China from the 1900s to the early 1930s, a period that marked increasing American imperial expansion, thus challenging Britain's long predominance in the colonial movement. We examined a varied body of primary materials, including memoirs, personal correspondence, notes, and travelogues by British and American editors. We also retrieved articles from the foreign press in China, major British and American newspapers, and Chinese official documents and publications. We argue that the press was tightly affiliated with the colonization process. The British and American press in China strengthened the cohesion of their respective expatriate communities and thus became essential to the very existence of each colonial power in China. Moreover, the press provided a site for the imperial contest over colonial hegemony, leading ultimately to a power redistribution and reconfiguration in colonial history. Our study shows that the British-American press struggle in China not only extended but also constituted an essential part of their larger colonial competition. Semi-colonial China provided an opportune site and moment for America to test its progressive ideas during the course of contesting older European powers for world supremacy. This historical context is crucial for understanding the story of the US expansion in China and the role of the foreign press in constructing colonial discourses. The historical legacies of China's semi-colonialism are relevant to contemporary globalization, where countries are growing more interconnected while constantly competing for power and privilege.

並列關鍵字

semi-colonialism ； press competition ； modern China ； foreign press ； British-American competition