The Pros And Cons Of The Treaty Of Nanking
387 Words2 Pages
The Treaty of Nanking is extremely unjust. The Chinese dubbed it the “Unequal Treaties” because England came into their country and forced them to agree to unfair terms. It is rightfully characterized this way for many reasons. Firstly, China had to pay Britain $6,000,000 for opium they (Commissioner Lin Zexu) ruined and another $12,000,000 as an indemnity for war costs resulting from the Opium Wars (with an interest rate of 5% per year). Britain also gained control of Hong Kong, which ran under British laws, primarily to be used as a port city. 5 major ports, Canton, Amoy, Fuchau, Ningpo, and Shangai, were also forced to open up to British trade and people. English people were now allowed to reside there. The Chinese were also forced to pay