COMMERCE
755
Mining. — Most of the 18 provinces and the 3 provinces of Manchuria con- tain coal, and China may be regarded as one of the first coal countries of the world. The coal fields cover an area of 133,513 acres and the average annual coal output is estimated at 19,000,000 tons. Iron ores are abun- dant in the anthracite field of Shansi, where the iron industry is ancient, in Chihli, in Shantung and other provinces, and iron (found in conjunction with coal) is worked in Manchuria. The annual production of iron ore is about 468,638 tons. The Tayeh iron deposits, near Hankow, are among the richest in the world. On the Upper Yangtse and in Shensi province petroleum is being worked. Copper ore is plentiful in Yunnan where the copper- mining industry has long existed ; Yunnan Province is one of the richest copper districts in the world. 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. Antimony ore is exported from Hunan; the annual output is about 28,316 tons. The annual output of gold is 71,582 ounces; of silver, 107,155 ounces; of lead, 13,527 tons ; of copper, 10,963 tons. Mining for wolfram is being carried on at Swatow, and in the north-western part of Chihli Province.
Commerce.
Foreign trade of China (exclusive of bullion) : —
-
mi
1910 1917
1918
1919
Net Imports . Export*
£
58,939,S19 54,321,069
£
•6,007,888
80.299,561
119,072,400 110,301,853
4
145,658,383 127,544,295
£
-2,455 199,756,313
Trade by principal countries in 1918 and 1919 in HK. Taels (1 HK. Taeb 6s. 4d. in 1919).
Impori
ts
1918
1919
1918
1919
HK. Taels
HK. Taels
HK. Taels
HK. Taels
United Kingdom .
49,890,293
64,292,239
25,264,589
57,188,242
Hong Kong .
162,191,816
153.631,544
116,988,021
131,495,296
India
7,988,896
26,980,705
8,087,801
9,599,413
Russia and Siberia 1
1.434,106
1.724,603
1. 972.357
5.516,517
France
1.56S.858
3.375,809
30,4<
34.2S5.9S9
Singapore .
10,331,544
10,115,656
6,4C-
11,220,792
IUlT .
356,674
991,556
9,634.780
5,144,292
United States
58,6S6,044
110,236,706
77,134,205
101,118,677
Japan .
23S.
2 46.910,997
163,394,092
195,006,032
1 By land frontier.
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, France, America, Australia, India, the Straits, and other countries.
The share of the British Empire in the foreign trade of China in 1918 was 23-25 per cent., of Japan 52 31 per cent., and of the United States 453 per cent.
