Conflicts With Britain
In 1848, Ye was appointed governor of Guangdong province, which brought him into open conflict with Britain because of his refusal to allow British traders to reside in the city of Guangzhou proper, which the British claimed they had a right to according to the Treaty of Nanking. As a matter of fact, the treaty read differently in its English and Chinese versions, the latter only permitting foreigners to reside temporarily in the harbors of the newly opened treaty ports.
As a reward for his ostensible success in keeping the British out of Guangzhou, he was promoted to Viceroy of Liangguang as well as imperial commissioner in 1852, which made him the chief official in charge of relations with the West. Ye Mingchen remained steadfastly opposed to yielding to British demands, but he was not able to resist the British with military force. The conflict with the British Empire came to a head in 1856, when Ye seized the Chinese-owned lorcha Arrow, which was illegally flying the British flag at the time. This provided the British and French with an excuse to start the Second Opium War. During the hostilities, British forces captured Ye and brought him as a prisoner of war to Calcutta in British India where he died over fasting.
Read more about this topic: Ye Mingchen
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