HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT, 1952
Government wanted to establish official diplomatic relations, by which it was hoped all differences would be settled, and since the Chinese Government would not recognize the British Superintendent, it could not expect the British Government to interfere or take the matter up until this recognition was given. On the Chinese side an attempt to stamp out the opium trade, made by Commissioner Lin Tse Su in 1839, led to the incarceration of British personnel in the factories, and this action brought about hostilities.
By this time the question of occupying an island or islands off the Coast had long been mooted. The claims of the Bonin Islands, Formosa, Lantao, Chusan and Hong Kong had all been canvassed. Elliot was swayed in favour of Hong Kong because the whole British community had taken refuge on board ship in the harbour of Hong Kong late in 1839, when their con- tinued residence at Macao proved dangerous to the Portuguese. During a pause in the hostilities, he negotiated with Kishen the Convention of Chuenpi, by which Hong Kong was ceded, though under such conditions that neither side ultimately accepted the convention. By virtue of this Convention, Hong Kong was occupied on January 26th 1841, and this date is generally regarded as the date of the founding of the Colony. Both British and Chinese governments how- ever refused to agree to the terms of the convention, and Captain Charles Elliot was recalled for not carrying out the letter of his instructions, and for not insisting on the British Government's full demands.
A new plenipotentiary, Sir Henry Pottinger, was sent out with instructions to adhere to the original demands. It is interesting to note that the cession of Hong Kong was not one of these. The instructions were to secure either the cession of one or more islands
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