"Andrew J. Whitfield sheds new light on the multi faceted Anglo-American relationship, China's claim to the colony and the significance of Britain's imperial mentality. Empire was not merely a cloak for most British policymakers but a fundamental tenet of British power. Without the Empire it was widely held that British influence would disintegrate. The author attempts to unravel the motivations of British policy using a diversity of sources including British intelligence files. "--Jacket.