The Difficult Path to the Modernization of China

The Difficult Path to the Modernization of China

During the eighteenth century, the Qing Dynasty ruled China and that century was the high point of traditional Chinese civilization. In the nineteenth century, China's status in the world collapsed and at the end of the nineteenth century it was seen as a pitiful country. This form of government, which was based on Confucianism, was not seen as adequate. After the British defeat in the opium war (1840-42), many western nations challenged and threatened China's government, policies, and civilization. Many western merchants competed well against Chinese products and industries. Foreign missionaries also posed a threat to China's religious views. Also the powerful military forces of the Western nations proved that China had to change somehow in order to survive a modernizing world.

China was considered to have one of the highest standards of living until the 1700s. By the 1800s, China was being threatened by the material and technological recourses the western nations possessed. During the eighteenth century, England was the main country that traded with China. Since China focused on conserving it's traditional values and ways of living, foreigners were only allowed to trade in Canton, which was a port city in southeast China. China's main exports were silk and tea and Britain had a high demand for tea. In exchange for tea and other Chinese goods, China was demanding silver.

Europeans started viewing China as an antimodernist country that didn't appreciate progress or liberty. These attitudes toward china and Britain's growing military power lead to Britain demanding change in the trading system between China. The British wanted to have a closer city in China where they could trade for tea and also wanted to create a market for their goods. The Emperor, Qianlong believed that China posses everything it needed and saw didn't comply with Britain's requests.

Since the 1600s, Opium was smoked among the Chinese. The east India Company would sell opium to China. In the early nineteenth century, importation and internal production of opium was banned because of its addicting effects. Opium was now being smuggled and foreigners such as the British were trading in secret with Chinese smugglers. China also wanted to end the opium trade because they were losing their silver. The outward flow of sliver caused Chinese government officials to also prevent opium trade. This lead to the first Opium war in which started in 1839 and ended in 1842. The British, with its powerful military declared war on China and defeated China, which then forced China to sign the Treaty of Nanking. The treaty forced China to facilitate trading for Britain by opening more ports, putting fewer restrictions on trade and ending the Canton system. Also, China suffered an economic loss by paying indemnities to Britain.

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