Instead, in 1843, under the direction of Queen Victoria, the British Government authorised its award to all members of the British Army, Royal Navy and the Indian Army and Navy, who had belonged to units that had "served with distinction" in China between 5 July 1840 and 29 August 1842.

The resultant treaty opened five ports to trade, and ceded Hong Kong to Great Britain.

The First China War Medal's reverse was originally designed depicting the British lion trampling on the fallen Chinese dragon.

Although these clasps were intended to be fixed to the earlier medal, the different width and style of the two suspenders meant that it was not clear how this was to be done.

As a result, the clasps were often simply slipped over the ribbon which was sometimes replaced with the narrower 32mm type supplied with the second medal.