Concessions in China

Concessions in China were a group of concessions within China, governed and occupied by foreign powers, that are frequently associated with colonialism.

Most had extraterritoriality and were enclaves inside key cities that became treaty ports. Other than other minor extraterritorial regions, these concessions no longer exist. The sovereignty of the last two European territories in China, Hong Kong and Macau, although not concessions but rather colonies, were transferred to the government of the People's Republic of China in 1997 and in 1999 respectively.

Imperial China granted the concessions during the latter Qing Dynasty period (1644–1911), as a result of the series of Unequal Treaties. They began in 1842's Treaty of Nanjing with the United Kingdom. Under each "Unequal Treaty", China was usually obligated to open more treaty ports for trade and lease out more territory as part of the concession, or surrender it completely. The one exception that preceding this period was Macau, which had been leased in 1557 to the Kingdom of Portugal, during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644).

There were a varying number of concessions in each city. For example, the concessions in Tianjin reached a total of nine at the height of the era. The concessions were usually under the control of a single Western power or the Empire of Japan. However, in the Shanghai International Settlement, the United Kingdom and the United States merged their concessions, while the French retained their separate French Concession.

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