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What rights did British citizens receive under the Treaty of the Bogue?
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opium trade
The clipper ship Le-Rye-Moon, built for the opium trade, 19th-century wood engraving from the Illustrated London News.
The British Supplementary Treaty of the Bogue, signed in 1843, expanded the rights of British citizens in China following the First Opium War. Specifically, it granted them the following:
- Extraterritoriality: British citizens were placed under the legal control of their own consuls and were no longer subject to Chinese law.12
- Most-favoured-nation status: This clause guaranteed that Britain would automatically receive any privileges or rights in China that the Chinese government might grant to any other foreign power in the future.312
These provisions were part of a series of "unequal treaties" that significantly eroded China's sovereignty during the 19th century.1