The formation of a modern Chinese police under the Tianjin Provisional Government (1900-1902)

International audienceIn comparison with Shanghai or Beijing police, the history of Tianjin police undoubtedly appears to be lesser-known and understudied, especially the very beginnings of the modern police system. Yet, Tianjin’s modern Chinese police was one of the first to be officially set up in China after the Boxer uprising and the establishment of the Tianjin Provisional Government (TPG) on 30 July 1900. This international government aimed to restore and maintain public order, while asserting control over Tianjin and imposing its authority over the Eight-Nation armies stationed in the city. This was a challenging task, which entailed a high level of international cooperation, particularly in defining the roles and responsibilities of public policing. The TPG forged a dual police system: on the one hand, a military one composed of officers and soldiers from the Eight-Nation armies as parts of an international police; on the other hand, another civil police force was formed with Chinese agents who were trained under command of European, Japanese, and Sikh officers. This so-called « Chinese police » was de facto one of the first modern Chinese police in terms of training, equipment, and assignments. Not surprisingly, when Yuan Shikai took over the administration of Tianjin in August 1902, he built a new police institution upon the existing police system. Drawing on the minutes of the meetings of the TPG from 1900 to 1902 and on individual testimonies, the aim of this paper is to shed new insight on the formation and the distinctive attributes of the Chinese modern police under the TPG. I will also examine the coexistence, mutual influences and tensions between Chinese, European, and Japanese members of this international police system. The final part will discuss the legacy of this unique international institution to the Tianjin police, as well as to the Chinese police system in general