Why was china humiliated by the west

As with the Cold War, China also utilised its experiences of imperialism to further its objectives in the developing world.

While economic objectives have replaced ideological ones, Beijing was able to capitalise on its shared experiences to further cultivate its relationships with the local elites, most notably in the African states. While these ties have been less contentious than the Sino-Soviet relationship, with discussion of a Sino-Russian push against American geopolitical advances, the territorial disputes from this period remain alongside a shift in the power dynamics of the relationship.

These fears have been exploited by nationalist demagogues, most notably Vladimir Zhirinovsky , often labelled as the Russian Donald Trump, whose Liberal Democratic Party of Russia made electoral gains in the region at the expense of the ruling United Russia party. This was attributed to the backlash against the proposed lease of 2.

In recent years, the Century of Humiliation has also been invoked with the current Sino-American trade tensions. This has seen the comparison of the recent American demands to the unequal treaties previously imposed upon China to further nationalist sentiment and to unify China. He received his PhD at the University of Surrey. This is a thoughtful and useful article, but it would have been helpful to highlight the extent to which China itself was responsible for its plight during the so-called Century of Humiliation.

The country was wracked with wars and rebellions that were sparked by internal tensions. Repeated backlash caused by these culturally and politically insensitive actions seems to cast doubts on the seriousness foreign celebrities and companies attach to the Chinese people's feelings. Some Western people attribute this sensitivity to the effects of a century of humiliation. It is a period roughly starting from the Opium War in the 40s of the 19th century to the establishment of the People's Republic of China in China suffered semi-colonization, multiple foreign aggressions and severe poverty during this century.

Chinese civilization was at its lowest point during that time. To some extent, it also shaped China's relations with the world, particularly with the West.

After the Ming Dynasty sent the world's largest fleet then on exploration voyages, as far as to the coast of Africa, China adopted a closed-door policy and shut itself out from the rest of the world. It missed the time capitalism and industrialization were budding in Europe and America.

The giant agricultural country was later forced to open the door and involve itself in the global trade by gun and cannon. China learnt its lessons from this period of time. Furthermore, the many rebellions that broke out within China after the first Opium War made it increasingly difficult for the Chinese government to pay its tax and huge indemnity obligations.

His research focuses on late imperial and modern Chinese and Tibetan environmental history, resource development, and ethnic relations in western China.

What was the main product that caused Great Britain to go into a trade deficit with China by the early 19 th century?

True or False: The British fought the Opium Wars because they wanted to preserve the Canton System, which they felt helped them expand their trade with China. We invite teachers to share ideas for using these materials in the classroom, especially how they can be used to build the curricular competencies that are prioritized in the new B. By registering with us, you will be able to access the for-teachers-only bulletin board. Registration will also allow us to send you notifications as new materials are added, and existing materials are updated and expanded.

We want parts of this section to be secure and accessible to teachers only. The Opium Wars in China. Overview Download as PDF. The Scourge and Profit of Opium The opium that the British sold in China was made from the sap of poppy plants, and had been used for medicinal and sometimes recreational purposes in China and other parts of Eurasia for centuries. The Users Versus Pushers Debate By , the Chinese government began to get more serious about enforcing the ban.

Second Opium War — In , a second Opium War broke out and continued until , when the British and French captured Beijing and forced on China a new round of unequal treaties, indemnities, and the opening of 11 more treaty ports see Map 3. Thinking About the Opium War In , the British imposed on China their version of free trade and insisted on the legal right of their citizens that is, British citizens to do what they wanted, wherever they wanted.

Take this quiz to find out! Start Quiz Opium Wars Quiz - 1 of 4. Opium Wars Quiz - 2 of 4. Opium Wars Quiz - 3 of 4. A Commissioner Lin Zexu was a champion of this side. They believed that the Chinese government needed to target the people who produced and sold the opium, not the people who used it.

They focused on the immorality of the opium trade. Opium Wars Quiz - 4 of 4. A treaty that granted the Chinese government the right to restrict opium imports. A series of treaty ports that opened China to foreign residence and increased trade.

A large indemnity to be paid by China. Most Favoured Nation status for Great Britain. Opium Wars Quiz - Results. Audio China Your browser does not support the audio element. Great Britain Your browser does not support the audio element. Qing Dynasty Your browser does not support the audio element. The First Opium War Your browser does not support the audio element.

Teacher Resources Overview Registration Info Lesson Materials Contact us Overview We invite teachers to share ideas for using these materials in the classroom, especially how they can be used to build the curricular competencies that are prioritized in the new B.

Registration Info We want parts of this section to be secure and accessible to teachers only. Opium Wars - Background Reading. Opium Wars - Assessments and Activities - Updated. Within two years, Great Britain had routed China and, during the subsequent peace treaty, extracted significant concessions: control of Hong Kong in perpetuity , the widening of trade in new ports, and extraterritoriality for British subjects in China—a privilege obtained by American and French governments soon afterwards.

This begun the most tumultuous century in the country's—or any country's—history, one that featured an incessant series of wars, occupations, and revolutions and one that did not end until the victory of the Communist Party in China's civil war. Located in a northwest corner of the capital, the Summer Palace known as Yuanmingyuan in Chinese was an exquisite array of buildings, lakes, and parks, and served as the primary residence of the imperial court.

In the Opium War, it had no military significance. But following the Chinese murder of several dozen British and French troops in an ill-conceived hostage crisis, the British took revenge by targeting the Summer Palace.