中國海盜問題一直是歷史研究者關注的焦點，但研究重心多集中明清時期的海盜活動上，而較少觸及民國時期，且多未從外國政府的角度來檢視他們如何看待與處理海盜問題。事實上，受到民初南北對立與軍閥割據分裂的影響，中國海盜問題在1920 年代呈現出極度惡化的現象，往來華南沿海水域的船隻經常遭到海盜的襲擊。華籍船隻深受其害固然自不待言，但外國船隻同樣也不能倖免，淪為海盜攻擊與劫掠財物的對象。尤有要者，中國海盜的活動範圍，還蔓延到東南亞地區，造成北起上海、南至新加坡這一片廣袤的東亞水域，均成為中國海盜可能犯案的高危險地區。而自第一次世界大戰以降，美國在華整體商業貿易利益漸趨重要，但受到中國內政不安、社會失序的連帶影響，海盜問題逐漸失控，而美國商民經商往來中國沿海各口岸間，時常處於可能遭到劫持洗劫的恐懼陰影下，美國政府自然也就日益關注中國海盜問題的事態發展。究竟美國政府如何理解與評估當時的中國海盜問題，也必然關係到其後續準備如何因應與處理。這些議題均值得進一步深入探究。本文主要依據美國國務院外交檔案（駐華使領檔案），以中外關係史與外交史的研究視角，來分析美國政府如何理解中國海盜問題。筆者研究此問題的基本關懷，是希望藉由觀察美國駐華外交使領官員眼中的中國海盜問題，來反思作為1920 年代中國社會現況惡化表徵的海盜現象，後來如何演變成為一個外交問題，從而影響到美國政府對華的觀感及政策。

Historians used to focus on Chinese piratical activities of the Ming and Ch’ing dynasties, paying little attention to the same issue in the Republican period, especially foreign powers’ observations and responses to piratical problems. During the 1920s, Chinese piratical activities became more rampant, not only Chinese vessels and foreign steamers fell prey to those pirates, but also Chinese pirates successfully expanded their activities from the coast of China to the entire East Asian Seas. At the same time, American commercial and shipping interest in China had become more important since the World War I. American businessmen and citizens travelled along the Chinese coast were frequently under the assaults of Chinese pirates, drawing U.S. government’s attention to consider how to deal with it. This article will utilize the records of the foreign affairs of the American government to analyze the Chinese piratical activities with an approach of diplomatic history, rethinking how the piratical problem became a diplomatic issue and influenced the attitude of the U.S. government toward China in the 1920s.