In 1902, Governor Yuan Shikai, requested immediate recovery of the Kai-ping coal mine, and the Sino-British mining rights negotiations began. This case spanned 32 years (from 1902-1934), and drained China's manpower and wealth, but after fighting on past a number of defeats, the mining rights were finally lost. This book probes the causes of this on the basis of diplomatic files relating to the Kailuan Mining Administration as well as related direct related materials.