不平等条约

Traditional form:

不平等條約

Pinyin (reading):

bùpíngděngtiáoyuē

Definitions:

• (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)

Characters:

• 不 - no, not, un-; negative prefix
• 平 - flat, level, even; peaceful
• 等 - rank, grade; same, equal; to wait
• 条 - clause, condition; string, stripe
• 约 - treaty, covenant, agreement

Traditional characters:

• 不 - no, not, un-; negative prefix
• 平 - flat, level, even; peaceful
• 等 - rank, grade; same, equal; to wait
• 條 - clause, condition; string, stripe
• 約 - treaty, covenant, agreement