The world powers promoted the 'division of China' as the Qing Dynasty weakened, but their efforts were slow for fear of resistance in China and they refrained from making conspicuous demands for territorial rights in China except Hong Kong which was colonized by the United Kingdom as reparations in the Opium War.
列強は清朝の衰退に乗じて「中国の分割」を進めてきたが、中国国内の抵抗を危惧してその動きは未だ緩慢なものであり、戦争による賠償で得たイギリス領香港を例外として、露骨な領有権要求は差し控えてきた。