growth/trade success
- During the British rule, many hospitals, churches, houses, tea houses and sports grounds were built
- It also allowed Britain to strengthen their ties to Japan, eventually leading to the Anglo-Japanese alliance
- Essentially functioned as an alternative to Hong Kong in case something happened
Weihaiwei pre Britain:
- Located on the north-eastern coast of China, it served as a military base for the Beiyang fleet during the later years of the Qing dynasty (from 1871 to 1895)
- key location in many wars, due to its location allowing the military there to control who or what enters Beijing by sea
How Britain acquired Weihaiwei:
- Rising tension led to Russia, Japan and Britain all wanting Weihaiwei, as its location made it a useful military base
- In 1895, Japan took control of Weihaiwei in the last battle of the Sino Japanese war between 1894-1895
- In 1898, Japan withdrew from Weihaiwei, Russia then leased out Port Arthur, the Port opposite Weihaiwei
- Following this, the British government then pressured China into leasing out Weihaiwei in a deal - as long as Russia had Port Arthur then Britain had Weihaiwei
- As Weihaiwei was leased under the Foreign Jurisdiction Act 1890, the British government felt it was not appropriate to treat it as a full colony, which meant many locals still had access to positions of power in Weihaiwei
value to empire
- In a survey by the Royal Engineers, it was deemed that Weihaiwei was not suitable for a major military port or trading port - They used it as a smaller military base for the Weihaiwei regiment
- It was also used as a health and holiday resort for many British travellers and a secure location to fix many of the militaries ships in the north east.
- Weihaiwei also meant that Britain had a strong base near Russia, as tensions between Russia and Britain were rapidly worsening
- due to the amount of wars in the area, Weihaiwei was also used for smuggling contraband in to China
issues and problems faced
- Due to Weihaiwei being deemed as not suitable for a major shipping port or military base, its uses were greatly limited, especially when the War Office planned for it to be a major military base in the area
- In 1899, the Boxer rebellion started, it was led by anti-colonialist, anti-foreign and anti-Christians. It likely started due to many natural disasters happening simultaneously in northern China, and Christian missionaries were given privileges that locals did not receive. This uprising eventually led to the Weihaiwei regiment being dissolved as their influence on the rebellion was unclear.
impact/significance on british empire/trade
- Weihaiwei helped to establish Britains rule in China, as well as reinforcing their power through having one treaty port and one colony in the areas that were often involved in nearby wars.
- it also helped to establish Britains new approach to colonialism, through using deals and allowing locals to be involved in the local government system instead of using violence