Final answer:
The British benefited from the Treaty of Nanjing by gaining control of Hong Kong, opening five Chinese ports to their trade, and securing a fixed tariff on British goods.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Treaty of Nanjing, signed in 1842, ended the First Opium War between Great Britain and China. This treaty provided several advantages to the British.
First, it ceded the territory of Hong Kong to Britain, providing a valuable base for trade and naval operations. Second, the treaty forced China to open five ports to British trade: Canton (Guangzhou), Amoy (Xiamen), Foochow (Fuzhou), Ningpo (Ningbo), and Shanghai.
This significantly increased trade opportunities and was a boon to British economic interests. Third, the treaty established a fixed tariff on British goods, limiting the taxes China could place on them and thereby ensuring more predictable and profitable trade for British merchants.