Why did Britain choose Hong Kong instead of Ryukyu?

First of all, Ryukyu does not have a deep-water port like Hong Kong, and the British first consideration at that time was the need for a naval base.

Secondly, Ryukyu does not have the convenience of being backed by the vast market of mainland China like Hong Kong. The British took Hong Kong out of consideration of using it as a transit point to occupy the Chinese market. The Japanese market was too small and far away from the Ryukyus.

The most important point is that the British established colonial bases gradually. , first the Middle East, then India, then Singapore, and then Hong Kong, building a springboard step by step. Therefore, we had to eat one meal at a time. At that time, we must have won Hong Kong first, and not jumped to Ryukyu. If Japan did not have the Meiji Restoration later, there would be no external If the country is open to the outside world and has not formed an alliance with the United Kingdom, then the British may really have plans for Ryukyu in the next step.