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North Borneo Chartered Company founded
Operated trade in present-day Malaya, specialising in coal, iron and tobacco. Formed to fend off the challenge of other European powers to British economic supremacy. -
France add Laos to French Indochina
Originating with the French Cambodian protectorate in 1863, France added its Vietnamese territories to create Indochina in 1887. This prompted Britain to compete with their acquisitions of Malaya and Burma