1 Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau, hereinafter referred to as Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau, Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau and Shanghai Machinery Bureau, is a military production organization established in the Westernization Movement in the Qing Dynasty, the most important military factory in China in the late Qing Dynasty, and one of the earliest modern new factories. It was the predecessor of later Jiangnan Shipyard.

2. In Li Hongzhang's "On the Investment Promotion of Pilot Ships", he said: "At present, there is no official merchant ship. Since there is no joint venture between officials and businessmen, the official should still supervise the commercial office, and the official should be responsible for its outline, judge its advantages and disadvantages, and listen to the independent opinions of the director of the commercial office and others to please all businessmen."

1872 (11th year of Tongzhi), Li Hongzhang started the preparations for inviting investment from ships, and on February 23rd, 12, he submitted to the court "Setting up China Merchants, Carrying Grain in Jiangsu and Zhejiang on a Trial basis":

Li Hongzhang, an imperial minister, a university student, a governor of Zhili and a first-class official, knelt down and said in order to send someone to set up China Merchants. Ships were shipped to Jiangsu and Zhejiang to prepare official ships, which led Zhang to be hired. Pray ... to find out why all the pilot investment ships were shipped to Jiangsu and Zhejiang to transport grain. Chen Fu begged Empress Dowager Cixi's sacred advice to play.

Three days later, Emperor Tongzhi approved the establishment of China Merchants.