Why did the british take over hong kong?

Answer 1

Great Britain did not 'overtake' Hong Kong as that word suggests something won in battle. What happened was in 1898 Britain obtained a 99-year lease of the Hong Kong area that was then used as a free port and entry point to Asia for the British Empire.

Answer 2

In 1839, for refusing to import opium from Britain, the Qing dynasty became engaged in the First Opium War with them. As a result of Chinaâ??s defeat, Hong Kong was ceded to the British in the Treaty of Nanking in 1842. In 1898, Britain was given a 99 year extension to the lease of adjoining Lantau Island and surrounding lands in the north.

Answer 3

Simply because Hong Kong generated vast sums of money for the UK as it handles a large percentage of international trade and is a key player in the global financial services sector. In fact, China refused to renew the lease simply because it wanted to get it's hands on this economic powerhouse.

Answer 4

Britain's rule over Hong Kong had been ceded by the Chinese in perpetuity, but in 1898, a treaty called "The Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory" was signed. This gave the British control of further areas, but that control was on a 99 year lease.

When the lease came due, the Chinese sought reunification with Hong Kong. Britain was concerned over this development, but breaking up the "new" territories in Hong Kong from the "old" wasn't a reasonable option. The city had grown organically into them. On top of that, large scale infrastructure projects had been begun in the "new" territories, and the splitting up of Hong Kong would have made those investments worthless.

Meanwhile, China adjusted the Constitution to allow for the creation of "Special Administrative Districts" during the 5th National People's (1978 - 1983.) This created the idea that China and Hong Kong could be one country with two systems.

By creating a Special Administrative District for Hong Kong, the PRC was able to convince the British (who didn't want to fight) that the citizens in Hong Kong would continue to enjoy the kinds of rights they had come to expect under British rule.

Without any other serious options, and with their major concerns addressed, the British ceded their claims in Hong Kong over to the Chinese.

Answer 5

They had to because the agreement with China was a hundred years.