Why did the British need Hong Kong?

In 1839, Britain invaded China to crush opposition to its interference in the country’s economic and political affairs. One of Britain’s first acts of the war was to occupy Hong Kong, a sparsely inhabited island off the coast of southeast China.

What did the British gain from taking China?

As a result, the British were given the island of Hong Kong and trading rights in the ports of Canton and Shanghai. Although British imperialism never politically took hold in mainland China, as it did in India or Africa, its cultural and political legacy is still evident today.

What did the British gain from the empire?

In the 19th and early 20th century, some historians argued that the empire was the deserved result of Britain’s technical and moral superiority. They argued that British rule established formal systems of government, law and education as well as the development of infrastructure, like railways.

How did the British treat Hong Kong?

Anyone was British living in Hong Kong was treated as first class citizens while the Chinese was second class. From 1949–1997, the British bent over backwards towards the Chinese. The British by those years were under pressure from Communist China. The British even offered to give up Hong Kong in 1949.

When was Hong Kong colonized by the British?

1841
The United Kingdom had held Hong Kong as a colony since 1841, when it occupied the area during the First Opium War.

When did the British give up Hong Kong?

July 1, 1997
On July 1, 1997, Hong Kong was peaceably handed over to China in a ceremony attended by numerous Chinese, British, and international dignitaries.

Why did Britain surrender Hong Kong?

The treaty of Nanking in 1842 ceded Hong Kong to the British. Their big ships and military might meant China had little choice at the end of the first opium war. It was this, the New Territories, that in 1898 the British pledged to give back in 1997. They didn’t think they would ever have to give it back.

When did the British take over Hong Kong?

In 1898, Britain was granted an additional 99 years of rule over Hong Kong under the Second Convention of Peking. In September 1984, after years of negotiations, the British and the Chinese signed a formal agreement approving the 1997 turnover of the island in exchange for a Chinese pledge to preserve Hong Kong’s…

What was Hong Kong when it was governed as a colony?

British Hong Kong was Hong Kong when it was governed as a colony and British Dependent Territory of the United Kingdom.

How did China cede Hong Kong to the British during the Opium War?

During the First Opium War, China cedes the island of Hong Kong to the British with the signing of the Chuenpi Convention, an agreement seeking an end to the first Anglo-Chinese conflict. In 1839,…

Did the Qing dynasty transfer Hong Kong to China from Britain?

Beijing claims neither the Qing dynasty exercised sovereignty of Hong Kong after ceding it, nor the British therefore did, and hence the transfer of sovereignty to China from Britain is not logically possible.