Imperialism in China

The Main Idea… China was forced to sign unequal treaties and allow European nations to imperialize their country because Europe had superior military technology This created a hatred of western ways among many people in China

British drug dealers?? Please view the following video clip on the British opium trade in China and its multiple effects… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGRlnzTfNrk

The Opium War British merchants were trading opium in China since the late 1700s China tried to halt imports of the addictive drug In 1839 Britain fought w/China in the Opium Wars to keep the trade open

Result of the Opium Wars Britain’s superior military strength led to a quick victory In 1842, Britain forced China to pay for the war costs, open ports to British trade and give Britain the island of Hong Kong This was agreed on in the Treaty of Nanjing

Spheres of Influence In the years that followed, other western powers forced China to sign unequal treaties Western powers carved out spheres of influence: areas in which an outside power claimed exclusive trade privileges

The Boxer Rebellion In 1900, a group known to westerners as the Boxers attempted to remove foreign influences from China in a conflict known as the Boxer Rebellion Armies from Japan and the West crushed the rebellion and forced China to grant more concessions to foreign powers

Result of the Boxer Rebellion After the Boxer Rebellion failed, more Chinese people called for western-style reforms In 1911, workers, students and peasants toppled the Chinese monarchy and formed the Chinese Republic President was Sun Yixian

“Compared to other peoples of the world we have the greatest (largest) population and our civilization is four thousand years old…Today we are the poorest and weakest nation in the world and occupy the lowest position in international affairs. Other men are the carving knife and serving dish, we are the fish and the meat. As a consequence…we are being transformed everywhere into a colony of the foreign powers.” - Sun Yixian in response to the results of the Opium Wars and the Boxer Rebellion