WI: No Hong Kong and Britain uses Macau as an entrepot instead

So, the British captured Hong Kong during the Opium Wars so that they could use as an entrepot to trade with China.

However, by that time, there was already one European colony, Macau, which had been Portuguese since the 16th century.

As Portugal was British puppet for most of the 19th century, I wonder if it would be possible for Britain to have decided not to takeover a new city in China but to "ask" Portugal for some "special favours" so that they could use their colony as an entrepot instead.

This wouldn't be too difficult. Portugal would pass a law allowing British ships to freely dock in Macau at any time they wanted, and Britain would send a consul to the city who would become the real authority there after cucking the Portuguese Governor. British traders could also take over the Leal Senado, Macau's traditional administrative organ which by that time was losing influence to the governor.

So, how would this affect the city? Maybe Britain could have Macau expanded a little bit, and British investement would surely lead to the city developing a lot sooner.
 
I am sure they would use Macau up to a point. How did the Portuguese get Macao in the first place? The Chinese awarded it to them. Why couldn't Britain ask for the same treatment? Treaty ports or Trading Posts are a very old European concept. They go back to Carthage or even farther. They were everywhere, in the Americas, Africa and in India. Sometimes they were called "factories" among other names but the British weren't doing anything unprecedented when they took Hong Kong. It was just the continuation of a long tradition known to them.

At some point the British will want their own port instead of sharing Macao. The Chinese could refuse of course and it becomes a question of what is exactly happening in the Imperial Court then.
 

Lusitania

Donor
We need to understand how the Portuguese and British gained their respective colonies.

The Portuguese received permission to occupy Macau and build an outpost / port for the purpose of fighting pirates and trade. The Portuguese actually only received legal possession of Macau in the 1890s.

The British on the other hand did start trading with the Chinese through Macau and of following the opium war as part of the peace treaty received Hong Kong.

So you have one country that is willing to trade with Chinese fairly. Fights pirates and is allowed to setup a trade outpost in contrast you have a country who decides to sell drugs to finance purchase of Chinese goods. Attacks China and then takes part of it in settlement of war.

Two different philosophies and way of dealing with China. As long as China resists and attacks British merchants selling opium to its citizens then British will send its troops against them and take what it wants.

Therefore in answering your question as soon as the British feel they top dog they will demand greater concessions from Chinese then Portuguese had and their own place.
 
Top