Islands in the City
Negotiating the Location of British Concessions Along the Yangtze River in 1861 China
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2174331 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Yichi Zhang (0000-0002-3697-833X, Chongqing University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 26 |
| Issue | 8 |
| Pages | 1295-1313 |
| Publication date | 2024-11-16 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Interventions (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1369-801X • E-ISSN: 1469-929X |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/1369801x.2024.2365129 |
| OpenAlex | W4401262264 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 18 |
In the second half of the nineteenth century, Britain signed treaties to secure the right to establish concessions along the Yangtze River in China. Despite extensive scholarly analysis of the history of British concessions, one aspect that is often overlooked is that these treaties did not specify the locations for these concessions. As a result, the British had to negotiate with local Chinese officials to acquire suitable sites. This essay aims to delve into the history of Sino-British relations and the spatial dynamics of occupation by examining the interactions between the British and Chinese in determining concession sites within Yangtze River port cities – specifically Zhenjiang, Hankou, and Jiujiang. It reveals that, following the Second Opium War, British arrivals and Chinese authorities established an implicit understanding. Despite diverse strategies employed by Chinese authorities in managing foreign affairs – ranging from appeasement to radical measures – the British consistently pursued potential advantages and preferred negotiation to maximize their respective interests. Consequently, these concessions were located in less desirable positions along the Yangtze River, surrounded by waterways. This strategic placement facilitated British cargo landings while enabling the Chinese to retain control over foreign arrivals, effectively transforming them into metaphorical islands within these cities
Appeasement · China · Economics · Economy · Negotiation · Political science · Politics · Yangtze river · Chinese history and philosophy · Engineering · Japanese History and Culture · Law · Vietnamese History and Culture Studies
Improvised City
English Lessons
Human territoriality
The Spatial Turn
Shaping Modern Shanghai
Hygienic ModernityMeanings of Health and Disease in Treaty-Port China
Life in Treaty Port China and Japan
From racecourse to People's Park and People's Square
Making concessions in Tianjin
Sino-British Diplomacy in The 1860s
Remaking the Chinese City
Hygienic Modernity
Narrative of the Earl of Elgin's Mission to China and Japan in the Years 1857, '58, '59
Shanghai from Market Town to Treaty Port, 1074-1858
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |