The Treaty of Nanjing

The Treaty of Nanjing (also called Treaty of Nanking) signed in 1842 was the first Unequal treaty, meaning that it was the first treaty in which China had a great loss. The treaty was signed by the Chinese in order to end the First Opium War. The treaty stated several things. It stated that first, Hong Kong shall be given to the British on a 99-year lease. The treaty stated that the ports of Xiamen, Guangzhou, Fuzhou, Ningbo, and Shanghai should be opened to foreign trade. The treaty also stated that the Chinese should pay 21 million dollars to Britain for all the opium destroyed during the First Opium War. The payment was not given all at once. Only 6 million was given all at once. Another three million had to be given on or before June 30 1843. China should pay three million on or before December 31 1843. The same pattern went for 1844 and 1845.

China lost a lot through the treaty of Nanjing; it lost tons of money as well as part of their country. The Qing dynasty, which preferred minimal trade, lost that power, since there were more ports for trade then. Also, because the new ports were opened, there was a constant flow of western products into China. All this new trade took down the Chinese economy. When there was a bad economy, there was lost of unemployment. Because of this, there were lots of riots and pandemonium around China. The Treaty of Nanjing was a great loss for China.

Also See

For a very detailed look at the Treaty of Nanking, visit The Treaty of Nanking

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