British Concession (Shanghai)

The British Concession in Shanghai was a foreign-controlled area established in the 19th and early 20th centuries, where Britain had special jurisdiction and administrative authority, separate from Chinese law. It was part of a series of "concessions" granted to foreign powers after China’s defeat in the Opium Wars, allowing them to control trade, security, and governance within designated districts. This concession operated quasi-independently until it was returned to China in 1943, reflecting the era's imperialist influence and the complex history of foreign involvement in China’s development.