1) China’s attitude toward trade with the West (Europe, U.S.) during the 1800’s: - NO interest - they were already self sufficient - regarded western goods as inferior & frivolous - they were very ethnocentric (“looked down on all foreigners”)

2) 19th century Chinese economy based on:

AGRICULTURE (pre-industrial!) (makes sense w/ 430 million people to feed)

Also: some mining, plus manufacture of silks, porcelain, rugs

3) Britain finds a way to expand trade with China: Smuggles* in OPIUM... a narcotic drug that gets millions of Chinese addicted, opening up the Chinese market to Britain (and, later, other western nations). * ILLEGAL: opium is banned from consumption & distribution in China AND Britain

Then: British grow poppy plants in India, which are then distilled into opium for export to China. Today: Afghanistan [illegally] grows 90% of the world's poppy plants, distilled into heroin... helps farmers and terrorists / religious extremists.

4) Chinese reaction to British opium smuggling: 1. Petition (formal request) to Queen Victoria to stop!

(Chinese demand that Britain put respect for their laws ahead of British greed... warns that penalty for future smuggling is beheading or hanging)

petititon is ignored (WHY?)...

2. [First] Opium War begins (Chinese blockade their trading ports, confiscate & destroy opium... British declare this an act of piracy (!) and send warships)

5) Outcomes of the Opium War: - Britain gains control and access to more Chinese ports (i.e. Hong Kong) - Britain guaranteed extraterritorial rights (ability to ignore Chinese law!) - MORE opium is brought into China (hurting Chinese society) - Trading rights favor British (hurting Chinese economy) - China forced to compensate British smugglers for destroyed opium! An imperialistic treaty! (Treaty of Nanjing)

6) Weaknesses of the 19th century Chinese government: - Population growth exploded, while at the same time… - Food production plummeted, resulting in famine - Also: the Chinese economy was weakened by the Opium War and resulting forced treaties - The Chinese monarchy became more corrupt... no longer seen as legitimate by much of the Chinese population

... what's on the horizon?

7) Sphere of Influence (review!): Any area in which a foreign nation controls the

economy (i.e trade & investment). ... often uses forced “treaties”, to give the appearance of “legitimacy”

… indirect imperialism 8) Spheres of Influence

in China: - Britain - France - Germany

- Russia - Japan

9) U.S. reponse to European spheres of influence in China:

- Also wants access to Chinese markets! - Doesn't want to lose out to Europe's trading advantage - Successfully promotes the OPEN DOOR POLICY: China should be open to [forced] trading with ALL

interested [industrial] nations. Europeans agree: - Avoids war between industrial nations - Avoids costs of colonization (direct imperialism) - Market is large enough to accommodate everyone

10) Chinese monarchy’s choice as imperialism worsens: MODERNIZE or MAINTAIN TRADITIONS? - Young Emperor wants to modernize (industrialize!). - Older government officials (and Empress) resist change, seeing it as a threat to their power; they instead reinforce older, traditional economic, political, and social structures (i.e. agriculture, monarchy, and peasant society).

Result: - Reforms are reversed, young emperor was arrested, and Empress supports older officials to maintain traditional Chinese culture, pride, and ethnocentrism.

- A non-industrial China falls further behind the West, further victimized by imperialism.

- China maintains perception (not reality) of cultural superiority (won’t industrialize until the late 1970’s!)

11) Chinese people react to ongoing imperialism: NATIONALIST RESISTANCE, the BOXER REBELLION

Boxers = militant Chinese nationalists wishing to expel “foreign devils” from China (esp. Christians!)

OUTCOME of the Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901): - Boxers are defeated by a multinational imperial force (to keep China’s doors “open”) - But, Chinese nationalism endures (ultimately resulting

in a future civil war… and Communist Revolution!)