Extra-settlement roads

From 1901, Settlement authorities began to construct more extra-settlement roads beyond the new boundary, with the plan to eventually expand the concession to also cover this rea.

However, the political atmosphere in the capital Beijing had changed by this time, and the administration of president Yuan Shikai was facing a popular movement against the Twenty-One Demands raised by Japan.

Given the public mood against concessions being made to foreign powers, the Chinese government turned down the International Settlement's request for expansion.

Unlike the bulk of the formal International Settlement, which was densely built with residential, commercial and industrial buildings sometimes in close proximity, many of the extra-settlement roads were leafy, wide streets dotted with detached houses set in large grounds.

However, in contrast to the concession proper, the Chinese government continued to levy some rates and taxes in the extra-settlement roads area.

In the fierce fighting during that battle, Japanese forces were able to occupy the urban area of the Zhabei Chinese zone, and several towns in the northern suburbs.

In the 1937 Battle of Shanghai, the Chinese army pressed into the Japanese zone in the northern and eastern part of the International Settlement and the extra-settlement roads area.

During the Battle of Shanghai in 1937, the built-up part of the western extra-settlement roads area (east of the Shanghai-Hangzhou railway) were garrisoned by British and Italian troops.

In 1940, British forces withdrew, after which the extra-settlement roads area came under heavier Japanese influence until it was fully occupied in 1941 with the full eruption of World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor.