Convention of Peking

The Convention of Peking, signed on 24 October 1860, ended the second phase of the conflict between Britain and China and completed the arrangements begun in the Treaty of Tientsin two years before. Lord Elgin signed for Queen Victoria and Prince Kung for the Chinese emperor, in nine articles. China expressed regret for the firing by the Taku garrison on the British envoy's route to Peking and confirmed that the British Representative would reside at the capital. The convention annulled the separate article of 1858 and replaced the indemnity named there with eight million taels, of which two million were for the losses of British merchants at Canton. It opened the port of Tientsin to trade, allowed Chinese to take service abroad under British engagements, and ceded to Britain, as a dependency of the colony of Hongkong, that part of the township of Cowloon which Harry Parkes had held on lease; the lease was cancelled and Chinese property claims there were to be examined by a mixed commission. The provisions of the 1858 treaty were to take effect once its ratifications were exchanged.