The film begins following the British victory of the first Opium War and the seizure of Hong Kong. Although the island is largely uninhabited and the terrain unfriendly, it has a large port that both the British government and various trading companies believe will be useful for the import of merchandise to be traded on mainland China, a highly lucrative market.

• DEG
• Bryan Brown
• Joan Chen
• John Stanton
• Tim Guinee
• Bill Leadbitter
• Kyra Sedgwick
• Russell Wong
• Katy Behean