Manila was occupied by British forces for twenty months , from 1762 to 1764 , and used as a base for an unsuccessful attempt to conquer the Philippines during the Seven Years ' War . Eventually , the British withdrew from Manila as per agreements in the 1763 Treaty of Paris . The Chinese were punished for supporting the British invasion , and the small fortress @-@ city of Intramuros , mostly populated by Europeans and Mexicans , kept its cannons pointed at Binondo , the world 's oldest Chinatown .