The Tribute Controversy:The Underlying Logic of Negotiations Relative to Burma Issue between China and Great Britain
Prior to the signing of the Burma Convention in 1886,China and Britain engaged in a series of diplomatic negotiations regarding the Burma issue.In this process,both parties have demonstrated a distinct shift in their diplomatic approach in order to protect their respective interests,particularly with regard to the question of whether Burma's "tribute" would be maintained,which underscores a strategic realignment.In order to maintain its reputation as the "Heavenly Kingdom",the Qing court drew upon international legal thinking and attempted to maintain the traditional tribute system. However,this approach effectively transformed Burma's national status from a buffer zone within the actual sphere of influence of China and Britain to a vague buffer zone between the tribute system and the treaty system. The series of negotiations had disparate effects on the two dominant systems of the East and the West.
Burma Conventionnegotiation between China and Britaintributary systemtreaty regime