Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory
Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory | ||
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Hanyu Pinyin (Zhōng-Yīng) Zhǎntuò Xīanggǎng Jìezhǐ Zhuāntíao | | |
Wade–Giles | (Chung1-Ying1) Chan3-t'o4 Hsiang1-kang3 Chieh4-chih3 Chuan1-t'iao2 | |
Hakka | ||
Romanization | (Zung1-Yin1) Zien3tok5 Hiong1gong3 Gai4zi3 Zon1tiau2 | |
Yue: Cantonese | ||
Jyutping | (Zung1-Jing1) Zin2tok3 Hoeng1gong2 Gaai3zi2 Zyun1tiu4 |
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The Convention between the United Kingdom and China, Respecting an Extension of Hong Kong Territory,
Background
In the Treaty of Nanking, in 1842, the Qing government agreed to make Hong Kong a Crown colony, ceding it 'in perpetuity', following British victory in the First Opium War. During the second half of the 19th century, Britain had become concerned over the security of the isolated island, Hong Kong. Consequently, in Convention of Peking, following British victory in the Second Opium War, Kowloon Peninsula was ceded to Britain.
Between 6 March and 8 April 1898, in the wake of China's defeat in the
- On 27 March 1898, the Port Arthur and Dalian, to support Russia's Chinese Eastern Railwayinterests in Manchuria.
- Consequently, on 28 March 1898, Britain, anxious of the Russian presence in China, pressured the Qing Empire into leasing of Weihaiwei, which had been captured by the Empire of Japan in the Battle of Weihaiwei, the last major battle of the First Sino–Japanese War, for as long as the Russians occupying Port Arthur, to make checks and balances of Russia. During the negotiation, the British stated that they would further request for leasing of land if any foreign concession took place in Southern China.
- On 10 April 1898, Kwang-Chou-Wan to reinforce the position of French Indochina.
Seeking to bolster its
Some of the earliest proposals for the land's usage in 1894 included cemetery space, an exercise ground for British troops as well as land for development. From the British perspective concerns over security and territorial defence provided the major impetus for the agreement.[5]
Terms
Under the convention the territories north of what is now
Result
Some of the land under the convention remains rural and it is home to virtually all of Hong Kong's remaining farmland. However, as the city districts have become increasingly crowded the government has developed urban areas since the 1950s. Particularly, the areas closest to Kowloon have become integrated into Kowloon districts and are no longer administratively included in the New Territories. Due to continuing population growth and crowding in the inner city, the New Territories satellite cities grew increasingly important to the point where a slight majority of the population now lives there.
This made it unfeasible to return the leased land alone as it would have split Hong Kong into two parts. The Chinese also started to pressure the British to return all of Hong Kong, taking the position that they would not accept so-called "
The governments of the
End of agreement
The New Territories, with a 99-year lease, were the only territories forming the Crown colony of Hong Kong that were obliged by agreement to be returned. However, by the time of serious negotiations in the 1980s, it was seen as impractical to separate the ceded territories and return only the New Territories to China, due to the scarcity of resources in Hong Kong and Kowloon, and the large developments in the New Territories. Consequently, at midnight following the evening of 30 June 1997, the entire dependent territory of Hong Kong officially reverted to Chinese sovereignty, ending British rule there 156 years after it began.
Copies
An original copy of the convention is currently located in the National Palace Museum in Taiwan.[3]
See also
- Indigenous inhabitants of the New Territories (Hong Kong)
- Imperialism in Asia
- Punti people in Hong Kong (also known as Weitou people)
- Hakka indigenous people in Hong Kong
- Tanka indigenous people in Hong Kong
- Hoklo indigenous people in Hong Kong
- Treaty of Nanking
- Convention of Peking
References
- ^ a b "Hong Kong Journal". 17 February 2008. Archived from the original on 17 February 2008.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 March 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ a b Museum, National Palace (9 August 2011). "A Century of Resilient Tradition: Exhibition of the Republic of China's Diplomatic Archives _Lessons of History". National Palace Museum. Archived from the original on 1 July 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
- ^ Lease of the New Territories, Hong Kong Government Yearbook 2002, Chap 21: History
- ^ ISBN 81-7017-134-2
- ^ ISBN 962-209-463-5
- ISBN 0802713610. p. 370.