ABSTRACT
The foreign Governments endeavoured by means of the treaties to establish an accustomed basis for their diplomatic and commercial relations with China. The foundation of all foreigners' relations with China is the Treaty of Nanking. In 1858 foreigners acquired the additional right of travelling into the interior under passport, "for pleasure or for purposes of trade. The treaties of 1842–44 gave the foreign Powers the right to establish Christian Churches upon the soil of China. The net result of these arrangements was that the missionaries were in a preferential position as compared with other foreigners. The result of this practice was to level the advantages which the trading nations acquired until 1894, and to create among them a community of interest for the preservation of such rights as were obtained through these treaties. These treaties of 1858 and the French Supplementary Treaty of 1860 defined the status of Christianity and of the missionaries of the Church in China.
