A Transnational Study of Wanguo Gongfa

Abstract

Wanguo Gongfa, which was translated by W.A.P Martin, a Presbyterian missionary from the United States, is the Chinese version of The Elements of International Law, written by Henry Wheaten in 1836. It was the first time that a systematic international law had been introduced to China and affected China’s foreign affairs. In 1865, this book was brought to Japan and caused a profound impact on the early Meiji Period. In the 1880s, Martin’s translation was also published in Korea and caused a great impact on the intellectuals there. The previous scholarships of studying Wanguo Gongfa are rich, in Europe, the United States, China, Japan and Korea. However, the existing literatures related to it are mainly focused on its influences on history of ideas, intellectual history, translation history and legal history and the interactions between the evaluation and practice of it in China and Japan have been overlooked by most historians. This essay analyzes Wanguo Gongfa’s impacts on China and Japan in a transnational perspective.