(term coined c. 1920s) unequal treaty – a treaty between China and one or more aggressor nations (including Russia, Japan and various Western powers) which imposed humiliating conditions on China (in the 19th and early 20th centuries)
Definitions (Wiktionary)
noun
unequal treaty (treaty forced upon weaker nations by imperialist power)
In the authorities' view, "to reclaim / recover" implies that China admits "unequal treaties", which is less politically correct than "to resume exercise of sovereignty".
The imperialist powers forced a series of unequal treaties upon China.
Mandarin
帝国主义列强强迫中国订立了许多不平等条约,根据这些不平等条约,取得了在中国驻扎海军和陆军的权利,取得了领事裁判权,并把全中国划分为几个帝国主义国家的势力范围。
帝國主義列強強迫中國訂立了許多不平等條約,根據這些不平等條約,取得了在中國駐紮海軍和陸軍的權利,取得了領事裁判權,並把全中國劃分為幾個帝國主義國家的勢力範圍。
dì guó zhǔ yì liè qiáng qiáng pò zhōng guó dìng lì le xǔ duō bù píng děng tiáo yuē , gēn jù zhè xiē bù píng děng tiáo yuē , qǔ dé le zài zhōng guó zhù zhā hǎi jūn hé lù jūn de quán lì , qǔ dé le lǐng shì cái pàn quán , bìng bǎ quán zhōng guó huà fēn wéi jǐ gè dì guó zhǔ yì guó jiā de shì lì fàn wéi .
The imperialist powers have forced China to sign numerous unequal treaties by which they have acquired the right to station land and sea forces and exercise consular jurisdiction in China, and they have carved up the whole country into imperialist spheres of influence.
Unequal treaties granted extraterritoriality to the citizens of the great powers.
Mandarin
帝国主义列强根据不平等条约,控制了中国一切重要的通商口岸,并把许多通商口岸划出一部分土地作为它们直接管理的租界。
帝國主義列強根據不平等條約,控制了中國一切重要的通商口岸,並把許多通商口岸劃出一部分土地作為它們直接管理的租界。
dì guó zhǔ yì liè qiáng gēn jù bù píng děng tiáo yuē , kòng zhì le zhōng guó yī qiè zhòng yào de tōng shāng kǒu àn , bìng bǎ xǔ duō tōng shāng kǒu àn huà chū yī bù fen tǔ dì zuò wéi tā men zhí jiē guǎn lǐ de zū jiè .
The imperialist powers have gained control of all the important trading ports in China by these unequal treaties and have marked off areas in many of these ports as concessions under their direct administration.