新媒网 · 跨境数据社区

During the First World War, China sent thousands of labourers to Belgium to help the Allied war effort. Under French and British command, they helped to dig trenches, carry ammunition, work in the docks, railway yards and arms factories. The need for manpower became more critical as the war progressed. Trench warfare made the use of ammunition and supplies necessary, which led to increased imports and a large strain on transportation services. The tremendous losses seen during the British offensives of 1915 meant labourers who had previously worked behind the front line were now required to go to the front. Starting in late 1916, thousands of men were shipped from China to Belgium. The labourers were responsible for repairing tanks, assembling shells, transporting supplies and munitions, and helping to reshape the battle sites. China was officially neutral, so commercial businesses had to be formed to provide the labour required on the Western Front. Sending workers to help the Allies was a way for China to prove it deserved a political say when the war ended and terms were agreed upon. However, after a year of supplying labour, their contribution remained largely unrecognised diplomatically. When Germany announced its strategy of unrestricted submarine warfare, more than 500 Chinese labourers were killed when a U-boat struck a ship transporting them. With the encouragement of the US, this caused China to declare war on Germany in August 1917. By the end of the war, Chinese workers ranked as the largest and longest-serving non-European contingent in World War I. The UK took in 94,500, although many workers died or sustained injuries and China established a Bureau of Overseas Chinese Workers and persuaded the UK to provide compensation for the wounded men. 📸 © Chatham House.