china history essay

china history essay

Category B: Q3: In what ways and to what extent did the treaties signed by China and the Western powers between 1842 and 1860 restrict China’s sovereignty?
The 19th century was a very tumultuous era in China as the country was plagued by rebellions, wars and worst of all, treaties. The main treaties signed by China between 1842 and 1860 were the Treaty of Nanjing and the Treaty of Wanghia, following the Opium War (1843 and 1844)and the Treaty of Tianjin (1858), following the Second Opium War. The treaties are sometimes referred to as “unequal” as China did all the giving and received nothing in return. Although the treaties were obstructive of certain aspect of Chinese sovereignty, they were not all completely in restriction of China’s rights.
The Treaty of Nanjing was the first major treaty signed between China and the Western powers, and confirmed all ears China had of welcoming Western influence. The treaty ignored China’s right to limit its ports by opening up new ports in spite of the Chinese government’s intention to only allow Canton to be open to the West.   The Qing government’s right to apply its policies like the banning of opium was also dashed by the treaty as it allowed Western nations to import opium for their own personal gain.
China’s sovereign right for freedom of its people was also restricted as the treaty introduced foreign concessions. These were areas carved out of existing Chinese cities where foreigners now became the rulers. This ‘carving up of the melon’ stripped China of its power over certain areas of its own land, and thus restricted its rights.
The Treaty of Wanghia contained terms just as varied as those of the Nanjing Treaty. Firstly, it introduced extraterritoriality. This meant that foreigners arrested in China could not be tried in Chinese courts, by US consular officers. Eventually this clause was extended to the Chinese in good positions with the Westerners and Christians. Such unequal treatment went...