On this day, 126 years ago, on November 16, 1899 (October 14, 1899, the lunar calendar), France forced the Qing government to sign the "Guangzhou Bay Concession Treaty." After the Sino-Japanese War of 1895 of 1895, taking the opportunity of "the three countries intervening to return to Liao", the great powers launched a frenzy to carve up China. Russia, Germany, and France believed that they had "merit" in "interfering in returning Liao" and competed to demand "rewards" from the Qing government. Every "reward" they received became an excuse for Britain, the United States, and Japan to demand "compensation." As a result, the great powers competed fiercely to control and divide up China. They competed to solicit political loans from the Qing government and seize road and mining rights; they forcibly rented land, occupied it for a long time, and exercised colonial rule; they divided their spheres of influence in an attempt to divide up China. In March 1898, France put forward four demands to the Qing government: not allowing Yunnan, Guangxi, and Guangdong to be transferred to other countries, having the French serve as the chief postal officer of China, allowing France to build a railway from Vietnam to Yunnan, and setting up a ship station on the southern coast of China. Britain and France competed fiercely in southern China, and France's demands aroused strong opposition from Britain. The British government immediately intervened in an attempt to force the Qing government to reject France's demands. However, France, with Tsarist Russia as its backer, took a rude attitude and stepped up pressure on the Qing government. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the Qing government's envoy in France that if France's request was refused, it would "send ships to reopen the operation." Under pressure of force, the Qing government gave in and authorized Li Hongzhang to hold talks with Lu Ban, French charge d'affaires in China. In early April 1898, Lu Ban sent two notes to Prime Minister Yamen, reiterating four aggressive demands, clearly proposing to lease the Bay of Guangzhou to France for 99 years, and claiming that the French plan could not be changed and that the Qing government should respond immediately. Under the threat of France's arrogance, the Qing government completely surrendered and renewed its consent according to the date set by France. It was only because of the opposition of the United Kingdom that the power of a legal person to manage China Post was forced to declare that at present, the postal service is concurrently run by customs. In the future, when the postal service becomes a separate agency and needs to hire outsiders to run it, France can recommend a candidate. After the signing of the Sino-British "Special Agreement on the Expansion of the Hong Kong Boundary Site", the French government ordered the French Minister to China, Bishop, that France must obtain "as much territory" in the Bay of Gangzhou as the United Kingdom. Without waiting for officials from the two countries to investigate, France sent warships into the Bay of Guangzhou without authorization, forcibly landed, occupied the battery, caused trouble, and arbitrarily expanded the scope of the lease area. Due to France's deliberate delay, it was not until November 16, 1899 (October 14, 25th year of Guangxu) that China and France formally signed the "Guangzhou Bay Concession Treaty." This treaty has seven articles, the main contents are as follows: 1. China allows the lease of Gangzhou Bay to France for a 99-year lease. 2. All land rented by France belongs to the jurisdiction of France alone, and China is not allowed to interfere with it. France may formulate regulations to collect entry fees for imported ships; Troops can be stationed in the leased area, and fortresses and various military facilities can be built. 3. China ships entering the Bay of Guangzhou must pay various taxes to France. 4. France has the right to build a railway from Guangzhou Bay to Anpu and lay electricity lines. According to this treaty, the Bay of Guangzhou effectively became a French colony. The treaty not only enabled France to strengthen its aggressive power in southwest China, but also enabled France to establish an important base for aggression against China near Hong Kong, thus achieving a favorable position to compete with Britain in southern China and establishing France's sphere of influence in the three southwestern provinces of China. One of a series of unequal treaties signed by the Qing government with foreign countries