Tientsin American-Chinese Treaty of 1858

an agreement imposed on China by the USA during the Opium War of 1856–60. Although the USA did not formally participate in the Opium War, it nevertheless extended diplomatic and other support to the British and French interventionists. The American-Chinese Treaty was signed in Tientsin on June 18. It guaranteed the inviolability of American property in China and granted to American missionaries freedom of activity in that country. The treaty furthermore gave American vessels entry to the ports of T’aiwanfu (now T’ainan, on the island of Taiwan) and Shant’ou (Swatow), in addition to five other ports opened earlier, and it permitted American citizens to rent land and domiciles in the open ports. Finally, the USA was accorded trade privileges as most favored nation.