Keying (official)

Keying
Portrait of Keying, 1844
Viceroy of Liangjiang
In office 1842–1844
Preceded by	Niu Jian
Succeeded by	Bichang
Viceroy of Liangguang
In office 1844–1848
Preceded by	Qitian
Succeeded by	Xu Guangjin
Personal details
Born	21 March 1787 Beijing, China
Died	29 June 1858(1858-06-29) (aged 71) Beijing, China
Profession	Diplomat, governor

Keying (21 March 1787 – 29 June 1858), also known by his Chinese name Qiying and his Manchu name Kiyeng, was a Manchu statesman during the Qing dynasty of China. An imperial clansman of the house of Aisin Gioro, he began his career in the Imperial Clan Court. He conducted several peace treaties with Western powers, beginning with the Treaty of Nanking, which ended the First Opium War with Britain in 1842. Keying was sent to negotiate again in 1858 to settle the Arrow War with Britain and France, but the settlement was repudiated by the Daoguang Emperor and he was forced to commit suicide. He was well regarded in the Western world and well received in Hong Kong.

Keying was born on 21 March 1787. A descendant of Nurhaci's ninth son Babutai, Keying was a member of the imperial house of Aisin Gioro, and belonged to the Manchu Plain Blue Banner in the Eight Banners. He held several prominent posts in the Qing government and was demoted several times because of corruption in office, but managed to regain his position as a leading official in the Qing court.

In 1842, the Daoguang Emperor entrusted Keying to conclude a peace treaty with the Britain following the First Opium War, and he was chiefly responsible for negotiating and signing the Treaty of Nanking. The following year, he signed the Treaty of the Bogue to supplement the Treaty of Nanking. He also concluded the Treaty of Wanghia (1844) with the United States, the Treaty of Whampoa (1844) with France, and the Treaty of Canton (1847) with Sweden-Norway. This is the first group of what the Chinese later called the unequal treaties.