It is indeed Chinese...
Welcome James,
It is indeed a Chinese small jian, unfortunately it is missing a few parts. The scabbard would have been covered in turtle shell, it is lacking the cross guard and two other scabbard fittings. Have a look at the images below and you will be able to pick out what it would have looked like in a former life.
Some people pass these off as tourist pieces, I guess for a want of a better word they are but not "tourist " as we know it today. there are examples in South East Asian countries, found in museums. It is my understanding that dignitaries from other countries were often presented these as tokens of appreciation from the Chinese government, as far as dates go, I am not certain but others I have spoken to over the years do put these at 1860-1900.
regards
Gavin
If youd like further images, let me know as I am getting a few together for others interested in items I have in the swap forum.
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