Imperialism in China

Objectives Describe the trade rights Westerners sought in China. Explain the internal problems that Chinese reformers tried to solve. Understand how the Qing dynasty fell.

Terms and People balance of trade – the difference between how much a country imports and how much it exports trade surplus – situation in which a country exports more than it imports trade deficit – situation in which a country imports more than it exports Opium War – a war that took place in 1839 when China outlawed opium and clashed with British merchants selling it in China; British gunboats easily defeated the Chinese

Terms and People (continued) indemnity – payment for losses in a war extraterritoriality – the right of foreigners to be protected by the laws of their own nation Taiping Rebellion – a massive peasant uprising against corruption in the Qing dynasty; between 1850 and 1864, 20 to 30 million may have perished Sino-Japanese War – the 1894 war in which Japan took Taiwan 4

Terms and People (continued) Open Door Policy – the 1899 United States policy demanding open trade in China Guang Xu – the young emperor who attempted to bring reform to the Qing dynasty Boxer Uprising – anti-foreign movement in China from 1898–1900 Sun Yixian – also known as Sun Yat-sen; named first president of new Chinese republic in 1911 5

How did Western powers use war and diplomacy to gain power in Qing China? For centuries, Chinese regulations had ensured that China had a favorable balance of trade with other nations. By the 1800s, however, Western nations were using their growing power to tilt the balance of trade with East Asia in their favor.

In the 1800s, China’s relationship with the West changed markedly. China had long enjoyed a favorable balance of trade with Europeans. The Chinese limited where, when, and how much European merchants could trade. China exchanged porcelain, tea, and silk for gold and silver and enjoyed a trade surplus. Europeans had a trade deficit with China, buying more from China than they sold.

I. I. China entered a period of decline. Europe gained power due to its Industrial Revolution. By the late 1700s, two developments changed this relationship. British merchants also began selling the drug opium to the Chinese, causing silver to flow out of China and disrupting the economy.

I.A I.A Britain would not stop the sales, saying they had a right to free trade. The result was the Opium War in 1839. To stop the use of drugs, China outlawed opium and executed the drug dealers. Chinese warships were no match for British gunboats. Britain easily defeated China.

I.B I.B The Chinese were forced to sign the Treaty of Nanjing. The treaty included payment of a huge indemnity to Britain and granted British subjects in China extraterritoriality. The treaty was the first of several forcing China to make concessions. A second war forced China to open her ports and to allow in Christian missionaries.

II. The Taiping Rebellion weakened China and almost toppled the Qing Dynasty. II. While peasants suffered with high taxes, the imperial court lived lavishly. Suffering peasants rebelled between 1850 and 1864. Failure to maintain irrigation systems and canals led to massive floods in the Huang Valley. Imperial forces eventually put down the rebellion. Between 20 and 30 million people died.

III. III. Most Chinese leaders saw no need to adopt Western industry. They feared Western technology as disruptive. Scholar-officials thought that Western ideas of individual choice contradicted Confucian tradition. The death and destruction of the Taiping Rebellion led to debate about the need for reform.

III.A III.A Reformers in the 1860s began the “self-strengthening movement,” translating Western works and developing Western-style industries. In the late 1800s, Empress Ci Xi gained power. She opposed change and was committed to Confucian tradition.

While China debated, Japan embraced Western technology. III.B III.B While China debated, Japan embraced Western technology. In 1868, Japan began to modernize. In 1898, Japan joined the Western imperialists in competition to develop an empire in China. III.C In the Sino-Japanese War that followed, China lost the island of Taiwan to the Japanese.

China’s loss to Japan revealed its weaknesses. III.C China’s loss to Japan revealed its weaknesses. III.C European powers moved in to demand concessions. Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and Japan carved out separate spheres of influence in China. Imperialism in China

III.C III.C The United States, which had long traded with China, feared that the creation of these spheres of influence would shut out American merchants. In 1899, the United States called on other nations to keep Chinese trade open to all. Imperialist powers accepted this Open Door Policy. The Chinese, who were not consulted, had to accept it.

III.D III.D Young emperor Guang Xu launched the “Hundred Days of Reform” in 1898. He sought to modernize the bureaucracy, the military, schools, and industry. Reformers in China blamed conservatives for China’s failure to look ahead. But Empress Ci Xi and the conservatives retook control, executed Guang Xu, and halted reform.

IV.A IV.A In 1900, a secret society, The Righteous Harmonious Fists, launched an attempt to drive the “foreign devils” out of China. The Boxer Uprising attacked foreigners all across China. Western powers joined forces to defeat the Boxers.

IV.B IV.B As a result, even conservatives began to recognize the need for reform. Schools stressed science and mathematics instead of Confucian thought. Women were permitted to attend. China began to expand economically and a new business class emerged. As a result of the Boxer Uprising, China had again been forced to grant concessions to foreigners.

IV.B Though the Boxer Uprising had failed, the flames of Chinese nationalism spread. IV.B By the early 1900s, reformers created a constitutional monarchy, and some even called for a republic.

In 1911, a rebellion overthrew the Qing dynasty. IV.C IV.C In 1911, a rebellion overthrew the Qing dynasty. A republic formed under Sun Yixian, who advocated the “Three Principles of the People.” IV.D Nationalism—freeing China from foreign domination Democracy—representative government Livelihood—economic security for Chinese people