A Sailor in a Faraway Land

THIS IMAGE IS NOT TO BE COPIED FOR ANY REASON.

Here is an interesting cabinet card photo of a sailor in Hong Kong. The image is not particularly good, but I like the subject. He is wearing a medal but this part of the photo is over-exposed and so it is not possible to see what it is. I wonder if he is British - can anyone shed light on this part? I suppose he is on a visit to the colonies.....but he seems very young to be wearing a medal too. Can I tell the age of the picture by the uniform? Any help would be appreciated.