本文所欲探討的是英國政府在義和團事件之初（駐北京使館遭困）所採取的政策。文章分為五節，導論中提出問題意識，也就是救援與侵略的分野問題及其緊張性；第一節介紹義和團事件爆發之初，英國政府內部意見之分歧；第三節則探討英國籲請日本政府出兵的過程；第三節則分析日本出兵問題所引起的爭議，由此兼論各國的立場與思量；結語則綜合先前各節，呼應問題意識。在義和團事件最初，英國首相兼外交部長莎士保理（Marquis ofSalisbury, 1830-1903）決定等待西摩爾（Sir. E. Seymour,1840-1929）援軍的消息，即便與北京通訊中斷，他也不願輕舉妄動。但大沽口衝突顯示清政府與列強已處於實際作戰狀況，莎氏意識事態之嚴重後同意自印度派兵，而其保守性格仍不願接納內閣成員邀請列強共同出兵的建議，以免造成不必要的糾葛，此舉遭到急於救援的內閣成員批評。相較於聯軍可能造成救援行動變質為列強競爭，莎氏寧願具地利之便的日本能夠搶先拯救北京的公使團，但他不願「邀請」日本出兵，一方面秉持救援是共同責任的精神，一方面避免他國懷疑。但同時日本政府也因得不到列強的正式支持而不願速派大軍，始終有所顧慮，而英國積極促請日本發兵的舉措也引起德、俄之嫌棄。此嘗試失敗之後，「八國聯軍」的成行已成無法避免。

This research expounds the attitude and policy of British Government on the siege of Peking legations during the Boxer Rising, 1900. This thesis deals with British policy on the relief reinforcement. The dispatch of considerable number of troops could be deemed by China as an invasion, and turning the relief mission into a war. However, saving the Legations was the indispensable obligation of the Powers. At the beginning, the British Cabinet wished to communicate with other countries for cooperation, but this idea was denied by the Prime Minister and as well as Foreign Secretary Lord Salisbury (1830-1903), who reckon the proposal inappropriate and the operation should only committed by individual nation. Later, after the conflict of Taku fort, Lord Salisbury decided to draw Japan the send large army for immediate relief to avoid the assembly of the expeditions of the powers. But due to the hesitation of Japan and the unfavourable attitudes of other Powers, the plan was not carried out successfully. This paper is divided in five sections: 1.Introduction: the distinction between relief and ulterior actions; 2. Lord Salisbury's apprehension for allies; 3. Britain's proposal to Japan to send immediate relief; 4. The controversy of mandate caused by the encouragement of Britain; 5. Conclusion: British policy compared with other countries.