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 various aspects of Chinese history from 1830 to 1939. Themes explored in the sources include politics, diplomacy, international relations, trade, 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: The End of Empire
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 Interviews

Learn more about the material within Foreign Office, Consulate and Legation Files, China: 1830-1939 with these contextual essays and video interviews, 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.