Thank you for your correction , I apologize for using the word "core colonies". I hope I didn't offend anyone.
Yes, yes you did. That's what I find very interesting about the British , despite the Imperialist system, the fact that your side considered a lease of Hong Kong. When , during such times, it was the rule of the day to seize territory through one's shear firepower.
Your side waged that brutal war against the Qing Dynasty unethically, tho, I must say. The Opium addiction devastated China, not to mention the loss of silver as a result of that so called drug trade.
Two empires, French Empire and Spanish Empire. I think there is a culture of corruption, colonial mentality amongst former French and Spanish possessions. From Latin America, to parts of Asia, and Africa.