1861年9月2日，滿清政府的代表崇倫與崇厚和普魯士政府特使艾林波（Craf F. A. zu Eulenburg, 1815-1881）在天津簽訂「中德（普）友好、通商和航行條約」（Der deutsch-chinesiche Freundschafts-, Handels-, und Schiffahrtsvertrag, 又稱「中德（普）天津條約」）。這一條約的簽訂，不但是中、德雙方關係史上第一個國際的條約，而且它代表著自此，中德關係史上邁入一個嶄新的階段；即從原來斷斷續續的文化與商業的交往中，進而有外交和政治的關係。 而這一雙方國際條約的訂立，是普魯士政府在1859年年底到1862年間，派遣一支遠征團到東亞和中國政府談判而達成的。由於這一遠征團除了一部份是文職人員外，就是由三艘軍艦及一艘運輸船所組成，而且遠征團不但利用這些軍艦穿梭東亞海域，並調查該海域，也和日本、暹邏訂立條約外，還試著在東亞海域佔領一小島作為殖民地，以及其中一艘軍艦當時還在臺灣南部或墾丁附近的海灣與原住民發生小戰鬥。因此這一趟普魯士東亞的遠征，在中德關係史上，不但是一件帶有雙方軍事、政治和外交關係的重要事件，而且它更是德國於十九世紀下半葉在東亞進行「帝國主義」的端倪。 不過，在中德關係史上的研究與探討，國內的專家和學者對這一近代雙方關係的重要事件與遠征團相關的問題，較少關注與研究，也還未作一完整與深入的探討。因此筆者試著對這一遠征計畫的背景、原因和目的，遠征團的組織和到東亞遠征的大要與結果，以及「中德天津條約」談判的經過、雙方的策略與條約的內容，依所蒐集的資料進行研究，以便提供國內的讀者對這一近代中德關係的重要事件有所了解，並就較於專家和學者。

The Treaty of Friendship, Amity, Commerce and Navigation between China and Germany (herein after referred to as “the Treaty”) was signed on the 2nd day of September 1861 by Mr. Chung-Lun and Mr. Chung-Hou, Ambassadors Extraordinary of the Qing (Manchu) Dynasty, and by Graf F. A. zu Eulenburg (1815-1881), Prussian Ambassador Plenipotentiary. The conclusion of this Treaty was not only the first convention entered into by the Chinese and German (Prussian) governments but it also signalled a new era in Sino-German diplomatic relations. In other words, upon the signing of this treaty, the Sino-German relationship had progressed markedly from the previous one defined by intermittent cultural exchanges and trade to one, which now achnowledged a diplomatic and political relationship. The Treaty was concluded after a series of discussions, talks and negotiations between the Prussian Government (represented by the Prussian Expedition to China) and China (Qing Empire) during the years from 1859 to 1862. The Prussian Expedition , organised by government officials was borne by three battleships and one carrier to East Asia. In its brief, it investigated this Pacific region, concluded treaties with Japan and Siam (now Thailand) and even attempted to establish a colony on one small island in East Asia. One of the three battleships reputedly engaged in battle aborigines living the South Bay (Kengting, South Taiwan) area. And thereforce, the Prussian Expedition to Taiwan was not only a very important and critical military, political and diplomatic event in the history of the Sino-German relationship, but also reveals the Prussian imperialist ambitions in East Asia during the second half of the nineteenth century. In view of the fact that to date so few Taiwanese scholars and authorities have undertaken research and studies into the history of the relationship between China and Germany, this author's comprehensive research into the background, causes, reasons, objectives, organisation and results of the Prussian Expedition to East Asia; With detailed research overing the sequence of negotiations, insights into the strategies of both sides and the contents of the Treaty, readers in Taiwan now have the opportunity to understand the very important events surrounding the establishment of the initial Sino-German relationship in the context of modern history.