The contract of Nanking (chin. pinyin: Tioyue) terminated the first Opiumkrieg between Great Britain and Qing China.

Conclusion

The contract was signed on 29 August 1842 on board the British warship Cornwallis of the negotiators Qiying and Sir Henry Pottinger and ten months later after formal approval by queen Viktoria and emperor Daoguang in Hong Kong was ratified. It was first of the so-called unequal contracts and assured to the Englishmen in particular the profitable right to Opiumhandel, which of many historians, in particular of Chinese, when devastatingly for the development of the empire of China one regards.

Original contents

Liberalisation of the trade

As central regulation the contract saw the opening of the ports of canton, Xiamen (Amoy), Fuzhou, Ningbo and Shanghai for the free trade with England forwards (kind 2). In particular became the various restrictions, to which the trade in canton had so far been subject (so-called Cohong monopoly system), waived:

• The British buyers did not have to live no more in the treaty ports in a kind Ghetto. Rather now an unrestricted right of residence and even the establishment of consulates was granted to the British subjects in the ports mentioned was entitled (kind 2).
• The British had itself with communication with the Chinese trading firms no more the switching by buyers of the so-called Cohong Gilde as well as commercial civil servants ordered by the yard, so-called Hoppos, serve (kind 5).
• The so far usual monopolistisch administrative price determinations zulasten the strangers were given up. As only trade restriction were intended now appropriate export, import and transit duties for all buyers without reputation of the nationality (kind 10).

Hong Kong

Into article 3 of the Nanking contract England "the eternal possession right was transferred "at the island Hong Kong (Hong Kong Iceland). De jure could therefore have required the People's Republic of China 1997 only the endaround carry that only 1898 leased so-called new Territories. Even if nevertheless Hong Kong Iceland and the 1860 were returned by the Pekinger convention retired Kowloon, then this happened out of consideration on the fact that these areas without its hinterland would not have been survivable.

Payments in cash

Far obligated itself China for the payment of altogether 21 million silver dollar at England. Of it were

• 6 millions as remuneration for in May 1839 by commissioner Lin Zexu in canton destroyed 20,000 crates British Opiums (kind 4),
• 12 millions as reparation for the military expenditures England in the 1. Opiumkrieg (kind 6) and
• 3 million as if replace for British debts with the Cohong buyers (kind 5) intended.

The payment should take place in four rates to 1845. During exceeding of the date interests at a value of 5% became per annum due (kind 7).

As return for the war remuneration mentioned the British armed forces committed themselves to the retreat from Nanking and the emperor channel after receipt of the first rate. The likewise occupied Zhoushan should be vacated meanwhile only after complete payment of the entire sum (kind 12).

Other

In kind the Qing government committed itself 8 and 9 of the contract to immediate release of all arrested British citizens as well as to unconditional amnestying of all Chinese subjects, who acted with the British used, with the British or confessed in British services.

Kind 11 finally planned a neutralization of the phraseology. The British should not have to serve in connection with the Chinese buyers and authorities in the future no more of the tradierten expressions like "asking writing "or "to request ". Rather the use of words should be permitted like "report ", "statement "and "explanation ".

Consequences

In particular after its addition by the contract of Humen 1843 the contract of Nanking should make the way for a number of similar agreements free, with those foreign powers China step by step of large parts of its national sovereignty robbed.

By the contractually also further secured import of immense quantities Opiums by colonial powers was not only weakened the economy of China lastingly. Also the population siechte by the consumption obligatory imported Opiums and the Unterversorgung with the most important goods of the life.

References

Opiumkriege - first Opiumkrieg (1839-1842) - second Opiumkrieg (1856-1860) - contract of Nanking - the Opiumkrieg (film) - British east India company - Hong Kong - unequal contracts

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