Welcome to Foreign Office, Consulate and Legation Files, China: 1830-1939



This multi-part resource will contain a century’s worth of correspondence from the British legation and consulates in the cities of imperial and republican China, documenting Sino-British relations and myraid aspects of Chinese history from 1830 to 1939. Themes explored in the sources include politics, diplomacy, international relations, trade and the economy, military conflict, public health, missionaries, migration, war and revolution.

 

This resource will be released in the following sections:

 

1830-1895: Wars and Treaties
1896-1911: End of an Empire (to publish 2026)
1912-1919: A New Republic (to publish 2026)
1920-1939: Nationalism, Communism and Anti-Imperialism (to publish 2027)

 

Nature and Scope

Learn more about the collections featured in Foreign Office, Consulate and Legation Files, China: 1830-1939, and key themes covered in the resource.

Essays and Video Interview

Learn more about the material within Foreign Office, Consulate and Legation Files, China: 1830-1939 with these contextual essays and video interview, contributed by leading scholars in the field.

Searching Guide

Read tips on how to best search and browse the documents in Foreign Office, Consulate and Legation Files, China: 1830-1939 to most easily find the material you're interested in.