Western countries have gradually become industrial powers in the 19th century, while the Qing Dynasty at this time is still focusing on the development of light industry, which also lays the groundwork for the Qing Dynasty to be ravaged by Western powers. Under the invasion of Western powers, the Qing army was often defeated, and the most common way for Empress Dowager Cixi to deal with it was to cut off the land and seek peace, which caused China to lose a lot of land. When the British wanted to lease Hong Kong for 100 years, why did Li Hongzhang, who went to negotiate with the British representatives, insist on renting only for 99 years? Now I know how smart the decision was.
Cut the land and seek harmony
The sale of cigarettes in Humen caused the British to lose money in trade with China, and in order to gain more benefits in China, the British sent troops to launch an attack on the Qing army, which led to the outbreak of the Opium War. After the outbreak of the Opium War, the weapons used by the Qing army were vulnerable, and the quality of individual combat was extremely low, and they were quickly defeated by the artillery of the British fleet. After the defeat of the Qing army, the Qing government signed the unequal treaty of Nanking, ceding Hong Kong Island to britain. Then, during the Second Opium War, the Treaty of Maguan was signed and the Kowloon Peninsula was ceded.
The Opium War gave western countries a new understanding of China's national strength, and they all wanted to come to Chinese land to plunder resources, so China was occupied by more and more imperial powers. The Qing Dynasty was weak in military strength, and in order to prevent her own interests from being damaged, Empress Dowager Cixi constantly sought peace with the Western powers. As a major minister in the late Qing Dynasty, Li Hongzhang participated in the signing of dozens of unequal treaties, so he was insulted by the world. However, on the question of whether to lease Hong Kong for 100 years, Li Hongzhang's handling has won the approval of many people.
Why only rent for 99 years
In 1898, Li Hongzhang participated in the negotiation of the Sino-British Treaty on the Extension of Hong Kong Boundary Sites, which included the lease of the Kowloon Peninsula and its nearby islands to the British for 99 years as the boundary site of the Exhibition and Expansion of Hong Kong. In fact, this content was originally 100 years, but under the negotiation of Li Hongzhang, 100 years was reduced to 99 years. Only a year away, it seems that the impact is not particularly large, why does Li Hongzhang insist on only leasing for 99 years?
Because there was a saying in the international community at that time that if a place was leased for 100 years, it would eventually become the territory of the lender. If Hong Kong were leased for 100 years, it would be British territory in a hundred years. In order to preserve the territory of Hong Kong, Li Hongzhang decided to lease it for only 99 years, and it was easy to take it back at that time. It can be seen that from a long-term point of view, Li Hongzhang's persistence is very necessary, creating a usable space for Hong Kong's eventual smooth return to the embrace of the motherland.
epilogue
Li Hongzhang signed many unequal treaties in the late Qing Dynasty, and even until the last moment of his life, he was still discussing the signing of treaties with the imperial powers, and he also suffered insults from later generations, which inevitably made people feel a little sad. Former diplomats had no confidence because of their weak national strength, and there was no strength to support the counterattack. Today, China is strong and diplomats have more rights to speak on the international stage.