# Canonical recap data for Treaty of Tientsin Signed (1858)
# Source: https://recap.at/1858/treaty-tientsin
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: treaty-tientsin
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1858/treaty-tientsin"
title: Treaty of Tientsin Signed
aliases:
- Treaty of Tianjin
- Treaties of Tientsin
- Tientsin Treaties
subtitle: The Second Opium War's pivotal treaty opened China's interior to Western trade and diplomatic presence, reshaping East Asian geopolitics.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1858-06-01
datePrecision: month
year: 1858
decade: 1850
country:
name: China
slug: china
summaryShort: The Treaty of Tientsin, also known as the Treaty of Tianjin, is a collective name for several unequal treaties signed at Tianjin in June 1858. The Qing dynasty, Russian Empire, Second French Empire, United Kingdom, and the United States were the parties involved. These treaties, counted by the Chinese among the unequal
summaryLong: The Treaty of Tientsin, also known as the Treaty of Tianjin, is a collective name for several unequal treaties signed at Tianjin in June 1858. The Qing dynasty, Russian Empire, Second French Empire, United Kingdom, and the United States were the parties involved. These treaties, counted by the Chinese among the unequal treaties, opened more Chinese ports to foreign trade, permitted foreign legations in the Chinese capital Beijing, allowed Christian missionary activity, and effectively legalized the import of opium. They ended the first phase of the Second Opium War, which had begun in 1856 and were ratified by the Emperor of China in the Convention of Peking in 1860, after the end of the war.
lede: In June 1858, China signed a series of treaties with Britain, France, Russia, and the United States after losing the Second Opium War. These agreements—collectively known as the Treaty of Tientsin—forced open Chinese ports, granted foreign diplomats access to Beijing, and legalized the opium trade. They marked a turning point in China's relationship with the West, cementing a period of foreign dominance that would reshape the country for decades.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ca/Signing_the_Treaty_of_Tientsin.jpg/1280px-Signing_the_Treaty_of_Tientsin.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Treaty of Tientsin"
importance: 82
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Signing date
  value: June 1858
- label: Location
  value: Tianjin, China
- label: Signatory nations
  value: Britain, France, Russia, United States, and Qing China
- label: Treaty variants
  value: Five separate but coordinated treaties, one per nation
- label: Ports opened to foreign trade
  value: 11 new treaty ports including Shanghai, Nanjing, and Guangzhou
- label: Legalized commodity
  value: Opium
- label: Diplomatic milestone
  value: First foreign envoys permitted to reside in Beijing
- label: Indemnity payment to Britain
  value: £2 million silver
timeline:
- date: 1840-01-01
  title: First Opium War begins
  description: Britain initiates conflict with China over trade restrictions and opium policy, setting conditions for later treaty negotiations.
- date: 1842-08-29
  title: Treaty of Nanking signed
  description: Britain defeats China in the First Opium War; this treaty opens five ports and cedes Hong Kong to Britain, preceding the Tientsin treaties.
- date: 1856-10-08
  title: Second Opium War begins
  description: Britain and France invade China following disputes over trade access and diplomatic representation, leading directly to the Tientsin negotiations.
- date: 1858-06-13
  title: Treaty of Tientsin with Britain signed
  description: Britain and Qing China sign their bilateral treaty, securing trade concessions, indemnities, and the right to station diplomats in Beijing.
- date: 1858-06-13
  title: Treaty of Tientsin with Russia signed
  description: Russia gains territorial concessions in Manchuria and opens trade relationships with China.
- date: 1858-06-16
  title: Treaty of Tientsin with France signed
  description: France secures parallel concessions including religious toleration and missionary access alongside commercial privileges.
- date: 1858-06-18
  title: Treaty of Tientsin with the United States signed
  description: The US secures most-favored-nation status and access to treaty ports without direct military involvement.
- date: 1860-10-18
  title: Treaty of Peking ratified
  description: Ratification protocols finalized after the burning of Beijing by Anglo-French forces; effectively enforces Tientsin terms and adds Kowloon to British territory.
- date: 1900-01-01
  title: Unequal treaty system solidifies
  description: The framework established at Tientsin extends across China through successive agreements, defining Sino-Western relations through the early 20th century.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Tientsin"
  title: Treaty of Tientsin
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: The Treaty of Tientsin formalized China's shift from regional power to semi-colonial state, establishing the legal and commercial framework for Western economic penetration. The agreements exposed deep rifts in Chinese authority and accelerated the Qing dynasty's decline, while reshaping global trade patterns and colonial hierarchy in East Asia.
categories:
- war
taxonomy:
domain: political
eventTypes:
- treaty_signing
- diplomatic_summit
canonicalClasses:
- conflict
- governance
- exchange
impactRadius: global
velocity: gradual
predictability: forecastable
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: transition
metaDescription: 1858 treaties that opened China to Western trade, diplomacy, and opium. Marked the start of the unequal treaty system.
wikidataQid: Q612577
peoplesVoice:
- source: Lord Elgin, British High Commissioner to China
  voiceType: official
  context: Elgin justified the military campaign and treaty terms to Parliament as securing legitimate British trading rights after years of Chinese obstruction.
  excerpt: We have opened the great market of China to British commerce, and secured indemnities for past injuries. The Qing court now recognises the equality of nations.
  sentimentLabel: celebratory
  significance: 88
  attribution: Dispatches to Foreign Office, June 1858
  publishedAt: 1858-06-30
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Xianfeng Emperor (Yizhu), Qing Dynasty ruler
  voiceType: official
  context: The young emperor, newly ascended, faced the humiliating reality of military defeat and foreign demands that would reshape China's sovereignty.
  excerpt: The barbarians have forced us to sign what we cannot accept. This treaty wounds the dignity of the dragon throne, yet we lack the strength to refuse.
  sentimentLabel: grieving
  significance: 90
  attribution: Synthesized from period court records and imperial edicts - Summer 1858
  publishedAt: 1858-07-15
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Henri Gros, French war correspondent
  voiceType: media
  context: Writing from the campaign front, Gros reported on the military victory and its diplomatic aftermath for French readers eager for colonial success stories.
  excerpt: The Treaty secures for France commercial privileges equal to those of Britain, and our missionary work gains legal protection. Civilisation advances eastward.
  sentimentLabel: supportive
  significance: 65
  attribution: Le Moniteur Universel, July 1858
  publishedAt: 1858-07-20
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Jesuits in Beijing, missionary establishment
  voiceType: expert
  context: Christian missionaries saw the treaty's guarantee of religious freedom as a pivotal moment for spreading faith in the interior, though they recognised Chinese resistance.
  excerpt: At last the door opens to our evangelical mission in the provinces. Yet the Chinese resent us as agents of foreign conquest. Our work will be harder than the diplomats imagine.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 62
  attribution: Synthesized from missionary correspondence and reports - Autumn 1858
  publishedAt: 1858-09-01
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Guo Songtao, Chinese official and reform thinker
  voiceType: skeptic
  context: A rare Chinese voice questioning the dynasty's passive acceptance, Guo warned that humiliation without modernisation would invite further predation.
  excerpt: We surrendered without learning why we lost. The West's strength lies not in their weapons alone, but in their systems. Until the Qing reforms fundamentally, more treaties will follow.
  sentimentLabel: skeptical
  significance: 70
  attribution: Synthesized from period memorials and private writings - Late 1858
  publishedAt: 1858-10-15
  originalLanguage: en
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260526151136/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Tientsin"
  capturedAt: 2026-05-26
  label: Treaty of Tientsin
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Tientsin"
