Charles Elliot

“ The Plenipotentiary seizes the earliest occasion to declare that Her Majesty’s government has sought for no privilege in China exclusively for the advantage of British ships and merchants, and he is only performing his duty in offering the protection of the British flag to the subjects, citizens, and ships of foreign powers that may resort to Her Majesty’s possession. ”

“ Her Majesty’s Plenipotentiary, China Notes
↑ The "empire" means the Great Qing.1 2 The Whampoa in Guangdong, not the one in Kowloon.↑ The "new settlement" means a new colony, thus, Hong Kong.↑ The "people" means British expatriates in China.↑ The "country" means Britain.
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