1. plunder the territory of China and pay reparations.
The imperialist powers trampled on China's sovereignty and plundered China's territory through unequal treaties. For example, Tsarist Russia forcibly plundered more than 6,543,800+5,000 square kilometers of territory from China through the Peace Treaty, the Beijing Treaty, and the Sino-Russian Delimitation of the Northwest Border. The Japanese forcibly cut Taiwan Province Province from China through treaty of shimonoseki; 1897 Germany forcibly leased JIAOZHOU bay; 1898 France leased it to Guangzhou. The imperialist powers obtained huge reparations from China through unequal treaties. According to incomplete statistics, from the signing of treaty of nanking in 1842 to boxer indemnity in 1900, the total compensation paid by the Qing government was about 722.5 million taels of silver, and the interest of boxer indemnity alone was nearly 654.38 billion taels. Huge compensation has made China's unbearable economy worse.
2. Controlling the economic lifeline of China.
The imperialist powers controlled the economic lifeline of China by exporting goods and capital. By the beginning of the 20th century, there were 265,438+0 foreign banks with more than 65,438+000 branches in China. For example, HSBC in Britain has the right to issue currency and borrow money from the government. The imperialist powers have established a large number of industrial and commercial enterprises in Huaxing. These enterprises mainly invest in public utilities, manufacturing, import and export and finance, and occupy a large number of real estate. Pig iron, mining, railways, ocean transportation and oil in old China were basically controlled by foreigners. By the time New China was founded, there were still more than 65,438+0,000 foreign enterprises in China.
3. Control the customs in China.
China's customs power has been in the hands of foreigners since the 1950s. Before the establishment of People's Republic of China (PRC), the main posts of the General Administration of Customs and local customs were held by foreigners. There are 69 people in the General Tax Department, Deputy Tax Department, Tax Department and Deputy Tax Department of the Customs, all of whom are foreigners; There are 244 delegates, of whom 2 19 are foreigners; The 282 people who do general inspection, evaluation and inspection are all foreigners; There are 50 1 person, including 4 18 foreigners; The 42 people in charge of driving are all foreigners; Seven foreigners have served as the General Tax Department of China Customs.
At the same time, foreigners can sail freely in China's inland rivers. 1858 The Tianjin Treaty signed by China and Britain seriously violated China's inland navigation rights, and it became more and more serious in the future. Not only foreign merchant ships can sail freely in the inland waters of China, but also foreign warships rampage in the inland waters of China. China's economy suffered huge losses and its sovereignty was seriously damaged.
4. Enjoy consular jurisdiction
Consular jurisdiction is an infringement on the sovereignty of the country with consular jurisdiction and an insult and discrimination to this country. In old China, hundreds of thousands of foreigners enjoyed this privilege, 98.45% of whom were Japanese, Americans, British, French and Portuguese.
5. Have the right to station troops
The imperialist powers also used the unequal treaties to gain the right to station troops in China. For example, there are American troops stationed in Shanghai and Qingdao, and American and British warships docked in the Yangtze River. After the war, the United States successively signed a series of treaties and agreements with the Kuomintang government, such as the Sino-US Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation, the Sino-US Air Transport Agreement, and the Secret Agreement of Qingdao Naval Base, which gave the United States the privilege of using territory, territorial sea, airspace, garrison and inland navigation in China.
In addition, the imperialist powers also gained the right to operate freely in China, judicial power and navigation privileges. Some imperialist countries have also set up some propaganda agencies in China. These privileges and forces reduced China to a semi-colonial country.
At the Paris Peace Conference, China hoped to use its status as a victorious country to abolish the unequal treaties, but it was later rejected.
1925- 1927 during the northern expedition, the national government recovered some concessions.
During the Second World War, Japan was an axis country and Anglo-American law was an ally. After Japan declared war on Anglo-American law, its privileges in China ceased to exist.
After World War II, the Kuomintang reactionaries headed by Chiang Kai-shek granted privileges to the United States, such as inland navigation rights. However, after the founding of New China, all the unequal treaties with the great powers were abolished.