第二次鸦片战争后,南北洋大臣常常是作为总理衙门的外交总代表,分担大部分外交事务,其参与外交的指导思想、外交策略、外交准则、运作方式等构成南北洋大臣参与外交的主要特征。而这些特征,都是围绕着“和戎外交”的指导思想和“以夷制夷”的主要策略展开的。 After the Second Opium War, the chiefs of the Southern and Northern Seas were often the chief diplomatic representatives of the Yamen, sharing most of their foreign affairs. The guiding ideology, diplomatic tactics, diplomatic norms and mode of operation of their participation in diplomacy constituted the major part of the participation of Ministers of the North and the South in diplomacy feature. These characteristics are all based on the guiding ideology of “diplomatic diplomacy” and the main strategy of “controlling the enemy by barbarians.”