History glossary
Tianjin treaties
agreements made with foreign powers in 1858 that expanded treaty rights in China.
- Category
- Qing China and imperial conflict
- Region
- China
- Date range
- 1856–1861
What it means
Separate treaties widened commercial, diplomatic and missionary privileges. The November 1858 trade agreement addressed opium imports separately.
Stories using this term
The Opium Wars
From the Canton System to the fall of Beijing, the Opium Wars turned illegal trade, imperial power and Qing weakness into a new unequal treaty order.
The Second Opium War
A disputed boat seizure at Canton leads to Anglo-French invasion, expanded treaty privileges and the destruction of the Old Summer Palace.
