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How did the Sino-Portuguese Treaty of Friendship and Trade challenge China’s sovereignty over Macao? |
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See answer below. |
Three days after João Ferreira do Amaral’s assassination on 25 August 1849, 25 Portuguese soldiers captured the Border Gate for revenge and more of them assembled. 500 Chinese soldiers stationed at the nearby P’eng-Lim Fortress fired cannons at the Border Gate. The Second Lieutenant Vicente Nicolau de Mesquita took 36 soldiers and a cannon with him to conquer the P’eng-Lim Fortress under the Qing bombardment. However, the Portuguese had no intention to move further and soon withdrew to Macao.
In 1850, the Portuguese court appointed Pedro Alexandrino da Cunha the Governor of Macao, and dispatched three warships: Dona Maria II, Dom João I, and Iris, to strengthen Macao’s defence allegedly. However, Dona Maria II exploded during the Portuguese King’s birthday celebration on 29 October 1850, causing huge casualties among officials and soldiers. The Portuguese Macao government then erected a memorial stele near Taipa Fortress, where the explosion took place. The newly-appointed governor died from illness not long after the explosion.
Some scholars believe that Cunha and the warships were a Portuguese military expedition to China, but the plan was interrupted by unforeseen events.
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How did the Sino-Portuguese Treaty of Friendship and Trade challenge China’s sovereignty over Macao? |
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The ninth article of the treaty stipulated that the Qing emperors would be entitled to appoint officials responsible for trade management and regulation in Macao. However, the Portuguese replaced the word “officials” with “consuls”, indicating Macao was a Portuguese territory. The Qing court refused to ratify the treaty unless the Portuguese revised it. In the end, the treaty became void. |