TREATIES WITH CHINA
GREAT BRITAIN
TREATY BETWEEN HER MAJESTY AND THE EMPEROR OF CHINA
SIGNED, IN THE ENGLISH AND CHINESE LANGUAGES, AT NANKING,
29TH AUGUST, 1842
Ratifications Exchanged at Hongkong, 26th June, 1843
+
Her Maje tv the Queen of the United King lom of G eat Britain and Ireland and His Majesty the Emperor of China, being desirous of putting an end to the misunderstandings and con-equent hostilities which have arisen between the two countries, have re olvel to conclude a treat for that purpo e, and have therefore named as the r Plenipotentiaries, that is to say: Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, Sir Henry Pottinger, Bart., a Major-General in the Service of the East India Company, &c.; and His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Chiny, the High Commissioners Ke-ying, a Member of the Imperial House, a Guardian of the Crown Prince, an 1 General of the Garrison of Cinton: ant Ilipoo, of the Imperial Kindred, graciously pe mittel to wear the insignia of the first rank, and the disinc- tion of a peacock's feather, lately Minister and Goverro -General, &c., and now Lieut.-General commanding at Chapoo-Who, afte having communicated to each other their e pective full powers, and found them to be in gool and due form, have agreed upon and con lule the following A ti les:-
7
Art. I.--There shall hencefo ward be peace and friendship between Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and His Majesty the Emperor of China, an 1 between their respective subjects, who shall enjoy full security and prote tion for their persons and property within the dominions of the other.
Art II.-His Majesty the Emperor of China agrees that British subjects, with their familie; and e tablishment, shall be allowed to reside, fo the purpose of cary, ing on their mercant le pursuits, without mole-tation or estraint, at the cities and towns of Canton, Amov, Foochow-foo, Ningpo, and Shanghai; and Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain, &c, will appoint superintendents, or consular officers, to reside at each of the above-named cites or towns, to be the medium of communication between the Chinese authorities and the said merchants, and to see that the just dut es an other dues of the Chinese Gover ment, as hereinafter provided for, are duly discharged by Her Britannic Majesty's subjects,
Art. III.—It being obviously recessary and desirable that British subjects should have some port whereat they may careen and refit their ships when required, and keep stores for that purpose, His Majesty the Emperor of China redes to Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain, &c., the Island of Hongkong to be possessed in perpetuity by Her Britannic Maje ty, he heirs, and successors, and to be governed by such lawa and regulat ons as Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain, &c., shall see fit to direct,
Art. IV. The Emperor of Ch na agree to pay the sum of six millions of dollars, as the value of the opium which was deliverel up at Canton in the month of March, 1839, as a ransom fo the lives of Her Britannic Majesty's Superintendent and sub. jects who had been imprisoned and threatened with death by the Chinese high officers.
Art. V.-The Government of China having compelle 1 the British merchantst ading at Canton to deal exclusively with certain Chinese merchants, called Hong merchants (or Co Hong), who had been licensed by the Chinese Government for this purpose, the Emperor of China agrees to abolish that practice in future at all ports where British merchants may reside, and to permit them to carry on their mercantile transactions with whatever persons they please; and His Imperial Majesty further agrees to pay to the British Government the sum of three millions of dollars, on account of debts due