Although the Austro-Hungarian occupation corps had been present from the previous year, the concession formally began on 27 December 1902.

The administration was entrusted to a council made up of local nobles, the imperial consul and the commander of the military garrison which included 40 sailors from the Austro-Hungarian Navy and 80 Chinese policemen called Shimbo.

[3] In the concession were built a theatre, spa, school, pawnshop, barracks, prison, hospital and cemetery.

The relatively short presence, about 14 years, left traces of the Habsburg style still found today in that area of the city.

Also, Four hundred Austrian sailors landed in Tianjin and snuck their way to the siege of Qingdao to assist the German forces.

The Dutch delegate persuaded the consul to accept the Chinese ultimatum, and the concession was handed over in the most formal manner at 16:00.

[5] The Austria-Hungarian Empire's trade with China itself was extremely limited, and the concession was located at the northernmost end of the Haihe River, which was not conducive to shipping.