Treaty of Saigon

Treaty of Saigon, (June 1862), agreement by which France achieved its initial foothold on the Indochinese Peninsula. The treaty was signed by the last precolonial emperor of Vietnam, Tu Duc, and was ratified by him in April 1863.

Under the terms of the agreement, the French received Saigon and three of the southern provinces of Cochinchina, the opening of three ports to trade, freedom of missionary activity, a vague protectorate over Vietnam’s foreign relations, and a large cash indemnity. Five years later France annexed the rest of Cochinchina.