In the late Qing Dynasty, China was invaded by Western powers due to its weakening national strength. After the completion of the Industrial Revolution, the Western powers greatly increased their strength and began to expand abroad, and China, which is rich in land and resources, became the target of their aggression. In 1840, britain launched the first Opium War against the Qing government, which resulted in a crushing defeat in this battle. After the war, under the pressure of the British, the Qing government signed the Treaty of Nanking with it, which humiliated the country, and Hong Kong Island was ceded. In 1898, Hong Kong Island was forced to lease to the British for 99 years, and it was not until 1997 that it was able to return to the embrace of the motherland.
In 1845, after the Portuguese occupied Macau, they unilaterally declared Macau a "free port". Not only did they not pay rent to the Qing government, but they also forcibly expelled the Chinese soldiers and officials stationed in Macau. In this way, Macau was officially occupied by Portugal.
Everyone knows a lot about the history of Hong Kong and Macau. However, many people do not know that in fact, in addition to Hong Kong and Macao, there are also places in China that have been leased by foreign invaders for 99 years. But unlike Hong Kong and Macau, the city was returned more than 30 years earlier, and this city is now Zhanjiang City, formerly known as "Guangzhou Bay".
In 1899, the Qing government was forced to sign the Sino-French Mutual Lease Treaty of Guangzhou Bay with France, which stipulated that the "Guangzhou Bay" would be leased to France for 99 years. After that, Guangzhou Bay became an independent administrative region, which was long under the jurisdiction of France. In fact, the local people of Guangzhou Bay also resisted at the beginning. However, the weak and incompetent Qing government at that time not only failed to protect the rights and interests of the local people, but also continued to make concessions to France, which made the local people very desperate.
After the occupation of Canton Bay, the French invaders began to plunder local resources in a frenzy. After the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japan, Guangzhou Bay was forcibly occupied by the Japanese army, and the life of the local people was miserable. It was not until after the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japan that Guangzhou Bay finally returned to the motherland and was named "Zhanjiang" from then on, which belonged to the jurisdiction of Guangdong Province. The year of Guangzhou Bay's return to the motherland was 35 years earlier than the time of return stipulated in the treaty.
Whether it is Hong Kong, Macao or Zhanjiang, this is the testimony of China's humiliating history. Therefore, while we feel sad about this, we must also learn the lessons of history and continuously strengthen our own strength in order to avoid being bullied again.