Hong Kong, the Treaty of Nanjing Returns

Clearly, some young people in Hong Kong have adopted British culture – after the handover to China of their special province. They do not know the history of their country and what they owe to the Peoples’ Republic of China. For their great grandparents, London had brought only misery and desolation, causing the collapse of the Middle Kingdom.

Hundreds of young Chinese, in front of the British Consulate in Hong Kong, sing the God Save the Queen and shout “Great Britain Saves Hong Kong”, a rally call in London by 130 parliamentarians who ask that British citizenship be given to residents of the former colony. In this way, Britain is emerging in world public opinion, particularly among young people, as a guarantor of legality and human rights. To do this, History is erased.

It is therefore necessary, before any other consideration, to know the historical episodes which, in the first half of the 19th century, brought the Chinese territory of Hong Kong under British rule.

The “Opium Wars” represent the paradigm of British colonialism: London did not seek to dominate the Chinese population politically, but exclusively to exploit it economically. To impose drug use, Her Most Gracious Majesty, Queen Victoria, waged two wars that caused several million deaths.

To penetrate China, then ruled by the Qing dynasty, Britain resorted to the distribution of opium, which it shipped by sea from India where it held the monopoly. The drug market spread rapidly in the country, causing serious economic, physical, moral and social damage that provoked the reaction of the Chinese authorities. But when they confiscated stored opium in Canton and burned it, the British troops occupied this city and other coastal cities with the first Opium War, forcing China to sign the Treaty of Nanjing in 1842.

In Article 3 it states: “As it is obviously necessary and desirable for British subjects to have ports for their ships and their stores, China will forever cede the island of Hong Kong to Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain. and her heirs “. In Article 6 the Treaty stipulates: “Since Her Britannic Majesty’s Government was obliged to send an expeditionary force to obtain compensation for the damage caused by the Chinese authorities’ violent and unjust procedure, China agrees to pay to Her British Majesty the sum of $ 12 million for expenses incurred.

The Nanking Treaty is the first of the unequal treaties by which the European powers (Great Britain, Germany, France, Belgium, Austria and Italy), Tsarist Russia, Japan and the United States secured in China, by the force of arms, a series of privileges: the cession of Hong Kong to Great Britain in 1843, the sharp reduction of taxes on foreign goods (at a time when European governments were erecting customs barriers to protect their industries), the opening of the main ports to foreign vessels and the right to have urban areas under their own administration (“concessions”) exempted from Chinese authority.

In 1898 Great Britain annexed the Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong and the so-called News Territories, conceded by China to be “rented” for 99 years.

The widespread dissatisfaction with these impositions exploded towards the end of the 19th century in a popular revolt – that of the Boxers – against which intervened an international expeditionary force of 16,000 men under British command, in which Italy also participated (and France, NdT).

Landed in Tianjin (T’ien Tsin) in August 1900, the force sacked Beijing and other cities, destroying many villages and massacring the population. Later, Britain took control of Tibet in 1903, while Czarist Russia and Japan shared Manchuria in 1907.

In China, reduced to a colonial or semi-colonial state, Hong Kong became the main door of exchange based on the plunder of resources and slave labour exploitation of the population. A huge mass of Chinese are forced to emigrate mainly to the United States, Australia and South-East Asia, where they are subjected to similar conditions of exploitation and discrimination.

A question arises spontaneously: Which history books are young people who ask Britain to “save Hong Kong” studying?

Manlio Dinucci Geographer and geopolitical scientist. His latest books are Laboratorio di geografia, Zanichelli 2014 ; Diario di viaggio, Zanichelli 2017 ; L’arte della guerra / Annali della strategia Usa/Nato 1990-2016, Zambon 2016. Guerra nucleare. Il giorno prima. Da Hiroshima a oggi: chi e come ci porta alla catastrofe, Zambon 2017; Diario di guerra. Escalation verso la catastrofe (2016 – 2018), Asterios Editores 2018.

14 thoughts on “Hong Kong, the Treaty of Nanjing Returns”

  1. These people in Hong Kong are appealing the the Britain of today not the historical one . The china these people wish to be free from is the Communist Party of China the same one that Killed millions of its own people in this century. You make no mention of that in your attempt to say that these youth are somehow Misguided . I think you are the only one who is Missing the point

  2. Good article. I am ashamed to see my alleged government trying to seperate Hong Kong from the mainland, via financing, communications, organizing, inciting and organizing incidents (to include news coverage, and statements from the state department, etc.). Hard to believe these efforts are not made on behalf of the same old empire.

    1. @Josh
      Whats even HARDER to believe is that it was “White Supremest” that help founded the Communist Chinese government in the FIRST place!
      The ROTTEN-FELLER family Actually ADMIRED that form of government…a Long Time ago when they found that “Village Idiot” call Mao Za-DUNG.
      batr.org/forbidden/09121.html/
      Between the “Joined-at-the-hip” UK and their “Corporate Owned” USA counterpart…..That situation Was DESIGNED by them.
      Understand THIS: Communism & Fascism” are TWO Faces of the SAME coin folks.
      All I see is just ANOTHER Attempt to start WORLD WAR…to Save their WICKED “MOTHER Corporation and it’s Fraud-ridden Banking system….The VATICAN…ALONG WITH THEIR “WHITE god”….In Simple ID…WHITE SUPREMEST.

  3. Not sure I ever read such a fatuous, unbalanced screed of drivel. While an understanding of nineteenth century history is important, it is precisely the PRC’s failure to let go of this historical baggage that is causing the current unrest in HK. HK is, and has been a separate jurisdiction from China for 178 years. Over that time, the people, society and culture of HK have become different from those of China. Most of the Chinese living in HK today (or their parents or grandparents) fled to HK to escape communist China in the first place. It is on many levels foolish of the PRC to attempt to impose its will on HK, especially since most HK Chinese loathe Mainland China. Unfortunately, the PRC is too hamstrung by its own pervasive insecurities and blinded by nationalism to see its own folly. The PRC has gained face by regaining sovereignty over HK from the wicked crown of the UK. In view of the rise of places like Shanghai and Shenzhen, HK has largely outlived its usefulness to the PRC. The PRC is unable to address the causes of the unrest, which has been decades in the making. Addressing the symptoms with violence will only be counterproductive. If the PRC had any sense, it would lance the boil by cutting HK loose.

    1. wakey-wakey QUOTE…..

      The PRC has gained face by regaining sovereignty over HK from the WICKED CROWN of the UK.

      * * *
      The UK “CROWn”….is a complete and utter…..CRIMINAL fAR$E.
      The Queen was…NEVER “authentically” CROWned…..apparently !

      I am wondering IF……..
      there is consequently, a possibility that the “colony” of Hong Kong could,
      TAKE LEGAL ACTION reference the…..HAND-OVER……to China….under the
      “au$PICE$” of an enTITy……IMPER$ONATING “the/a” …..”queen” of England !
      * * *
      Transcript from HALLETT REPORT NO. 3
      The History of the Illegitimate British Monarchy

      http://www.whale.to/c/hallettNo3.html#.XZXvr3_TWUk

      * * *
      In 1997 British Prime Minister John Major announced that…….
      “The Queen is now a commoner.”

      John Major’s dates of Office were 28th November 1990 – 2nd May 1997

      Hong Kong was returned to China @ midnight 1st July 1997

      1st VIDEO on the article LINKED below @ 07:13…..
      CONFIRMS……”queen”…appears NOT TO HAVE BEEN……”INVE$TED.”
      IT WA$…simply…..LIE$ & THEATRE !
      “WITCH” is not that unu$ual for the…ZIONi$t INFE$TED “British” Isles !

      Episode 21: The Constitution, the Queen, the House of Lords & Roman Holiday
      https://www.kingof.uk/videos/

      1. iBelieve this also makes the opening and closing of the UK parliament a farce too. Her Privy Council have also signed a document stating that if no exit deal is reached between the UK and the EU then there will be no departure from the EU. Well what is the bets that there will be no deal??
        If she is not the true monarch( which I have read that she is not) then she has the rest of this population fooled and not to mention the rest of this world.

      2. DEAD-ON…About that FAKE Crown sitting on the UK’s SATANIC QUEEN “Lizzy’s head….WITCH, of course NEVER even Qualified to be a “Royalty” AT ALL…Simply because SHE isn’t even from the ORIGINAL RACE.
        The Internet is LOADED with Proof that SHE ISN’T!

    2. Addressing the symptoms with violence will only be counterproductive. If the PRC had any sense, it would lance the boil by cutting HK loose.

      That would be exactly what Britain would want. No doubt the unrest has something do with external influences there is no doubt there.

      1. It has everything geopolitically to what Britain wants. It is also what the people of Hong Kong want to, but more importantly this is territory that belonged and still belongs to China. The people that were born here are Chinese or are they now called Hong Kongese? This land was ceded by Britain during the coke wars which were brought upon by what? – Invasion?

      2. Wrong wakey-wakey
        It has a very good geopolitical advantage for the Brits/US otherwise they would not have ceded it in the first place.

    3. Hong Kong, officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. Those who escaped they escaped to HK not to avoid Communism but for other well known reasons. Chinese should not cut lose anything to anyone. Hong Kong is Chinese and will be Chinese.

    4. @wakey-wakey
      YOU, Have that narrative about the Chinese BASS-ACKWARDS….It was BRITAIN who Invaded China and FORCED Their will and colonies on the Chinese (Remember???)
      As White Supremest always do…BLAME IT ON THE “INVADED” Instead of taking responsibility for THEIR policies and actions.
      The Chinese DID attempt to remove the British, long ago with at least TWO rebellions (Remember???)
      The biggest being the “Boxer Rebellion”…Witch the Brit’s crushed with Superior weapons.
      When They had “Planted” enough “Seeds” of colonialism their (British style)…The Corporate USA helped take over by FORMING now called “Communist” government (The TWIN of Fascism/Capitalism) via Mao Zi-DUNG with the Rotten-Feller family aiding them..
      Once THEY felt comfortable with what THEY Created…They left in 1997 (Not Really!)
      So NOW THEY want to try and blame THEIR Created “Communist Chinese” as being anti so-called “Demon-CRAZY (Democracy) and then as USUAL…”Come to the Rescue” return.
      THAT is a Perfect execution of DIVIDE & CONQOUR and PROBLEM-REACTIO-SOLUTION!
      The White Supremest Favorite Tools used to take-over OTHER races and countries!

  4. All this proves is that Britain NEVER Left Hong Kong…at Least BEFORE they “Planted” Their “Seed” there. Exactly the Same reason WHY Every country the WHITE Supremest have “Invaded” the very SAME Thing happens.
    The they have the Gaul actually believe they OWN Everything They have STOLEN.
    They ALWAYS Leave COONS so as to Insure that the INDIGENOUS people cannot over-come THEIR Control….REMEMBER???
    PROBLEM-REACTION-SOLUTION…..DIVIDE & CONQOUR ???
    what They are ACTUALLY Up to, is attempting to Create the “WHITE Saviour Cendrom” among the “Dumbed-Down” Chinese sheeple….The WAR-MONGERING White Supremest…TO THEIR RESCUE!!!!
    A PERFECT EXECUTION OF “DIVIDE & CONQOUR”….Wouldn’t Anyone Agree???
    I HOPE No-One actually EVER Be-LIE-ved the Brits left there WITHOUT “PLANTING” THEIR “SEEDS OF REBELLION”…BEFORE LEAVING.

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