The 100th anniversary of the end of the Japanese-Russo War will be in 2005, and Dalian Port, which was developed by Russia as an ice-free port and that was taken over by Japan as an open port during the Japanese-Russo War, demonstrates its internationality today as a free trade zone in China. Ships built in Dalian as a port of registry were characteristic of Japanese ships, and they were the predecessors of ships with a flag of convenience. As these ships were the products of Japanese ship owners in a constitutional state, I think that they will serve as references for discussions about today's international shipping system and free trade zones.