Foreigners in China
The reaction of Chinese
government, Chinese people
and Westerners
Portugese are first
Began trading in 1500’s (with Ming).
Became the middlemen in trading
Chinese goods around the world
 Also sent missionaries (Jesuits). Huge
population without an established
religion in their minds. Attempted to
match teachings to Confucian ideals

Chinese Government
reactions:
strict restrictions and walls built around
the settlements so they could not
poison Chinese culture.
 Only allowed to stay 6 months at a
time during “trading season.”
 Missionaries welcomed at court as
interesting intellectuals, few
conversions.

People’s reactions:
uninterested but respect Jesuit
education.
 Don’t convert
 Eventually take offense at missionaries
judgment of their culture.
 Eventually see these missionaries as
representatives of the barbaric
foreigners.

Portugese reactions:
Send more missionaries
 Frustration and judgment of people.
 Desire more influence
 Jesuits write much about Chinese
culture so Europe becomes interested.
Unfortunate.

Other Westerners
reactions:
Curious about Chinese art, porcelain,
furniture, gardens and culture
(especially foot binding).
 Want to come see for themselves and
trade for those goods themselves.
 The Chinese continue to restrict trade
from any foreigners.

Chinese edict
announced to
foreigners attempting
to trade in China
“The products of China are abundant; what
need have we for the small and insignificant
goods of the distant barbarians? Just because
you wanted to trade we have had compassion
for men from afar and did not prohibit you from
coming. Now you are not able to keep your
place and obey the laws…the laws will be
upheld and feelings will be pacified. Everyone
will return to harmonious cooperation.”
1800’s Europeans pressure
more
By 1800’s the Europeans wanted more
trade and more spheres of influence
(Qing, Manchu)
 Why? What is happening in Europe at
this time?

New wave of European Imperialism
around the world as revolutions have
kicked them out of America and Latin
America
 Tension and competition among
European nations as industrialization
has flourished. Race for new markets
and resources.

Chinese government
reaction:





Opened a little more trade but still wanted to
keep foreigners away.
Disgusted by arrogance of Europeans.
Shocked by the Europeans view of the
Chinese as inferior.
Expel missionaries (Pope had told Jesuits
they could not attach ideas to Confucianism
anymore)
Still believed they were superior but did
nothing to change their ways. Problem,
why?
People’s Reactions
Insulted by European behavior
 Dislike of missionaries, some violence
will occur
 Oblivious: China is big and not all the
people know what’s going on.

European Reaction
More pressure.
 Judge the Chinese as backward: won’t
industrialize and won’t Christianize.
 Viewed as weak.
 Continuous trade in restricted port
areas.
 Looking for a way to force more trade
on Chinese. They find it…opium

Opium
The Chinese had used it for medicinal
purposes.
 By 1800’s started being used as a
drug and people were addicted.
 Coming in along Silk Road from Iran,
India, Turkey and Afghanistan

Chinese government
reaction:
Outlawed opium smoking (but, oops,
some government officials are already
addicted)
 Outlawed foreigners from trading
opium.

Chinese people
Get addicted (1 in 3 by mid 1800’s)
 Get involved in the trade too
 Oblivious: China is a really big place

Europeans
England especially continues to
smuggle. Makes tons of money from
the trade.
 1839: Create a situation for war as a
Chinese official came to destroy their
supplies.
 Superior navy. Why?

Opium War
Over quickly
 Treaty of Nanking 1842: “unequal
treaty” first of many. More ports
opened to Britain and Hong Kong
given to Britain.
 Extraterritoriality: Foreigners did not
have to follow China’s laws on China’s
soil.

Chinese Government
Reaction:
Not much.
 Still feel superior and still see no need
to change a thing.

Chinese people’s
reaction:
Anger at Europeans and own
government. Resented missionary and
merchant presence.
 Suspicious of missionary practice of
adopting unwanted children: rumor
that they were eating the babies or
using their eyes for medicine.
 More violence against foreigners

European Reaction:
They want more!
 React to violence by sending more
gunboats up rivers. Gaining more and
more territory in China.
 Weakening China to semi-colonial
status.
 Everybody wants a sphere of
influence. Gobble Gobble

Chinese government
reaction:
Not much.
 Still felt superior even though more
and more European nations were
encroaching on Chinese territory.
 Signed more and more unequal
treaties.

Chinese people:
Rebellion
 Population had been growing faster
than resources.
 Widespread poverty and government
wasn’t doing anything to help.
 Frustrated with foreign barbarian
occupation.

Taiping Rebellion
1850
 Aimed at Qing Dynasty. Views of
communal property, and the equality of
men and women. Sound familiar?
 Rebellion grows in Southern China
and fighting is fierce.
 Europeans stay out of it but appreciate
how it weakens the dynasty.
 1864 peace, 40 million dead and
Southern China lying in waste.

Chinese government
reaction:




1860 Self-Strengthening policy.
Still believed they were superior to
Westerners but saw a need for some
changes.
Adopted western military style. Aim is
modernization but very slow progress.
Remain stubborn and call the “hairy
barbarians’ technology a few monkey
tricks.”
Chinese people


Work for foreigners at ports and along rivers
but then realized they are being treated as
second-class citizens in their own territory.
Some get educations at Jesuit universities
and read western books that had been
translated by Jesuits: new education
spreads ideas of freedom and more ideas of
rebellion against Qing.
Western reaction:
Continued pressure for Chinese trade
as Dynasty continues to prove its
weakness.
 Begin tense competition among each
other for access.
 America wants in too and forces an
Open Door Policy on the Chinese and
other western nations.

Open Door Policy
1899
 America late in the imperialism game
so wants to catch up.
 Europeans scared to destroy China
because they may go to war over its
spoils.
 China too weak to deny access.

Chinese government
reaction:
Self-strengthening had been too little
too late.
 Some leaders still addicted to opium
 Emperor’s mother builds a new
summer palace with a huge marble
boat with money that was to be used
to ease peasant hunger and suffering.

Chinese people
Poor and hungry except in merchant
areas and then just insulted.
 Most hate everything foreign (except
those getting university educations)
 Impoverished bandits rebel against
Qing Dynasty.

Boxer Rebellion
1900
 Original rebellion against Qing but the
Empress Dowager turns the bandits on
missionaries and foreigners.
 Either kill the white devils or send them
into the sea.
 Rampage of burning and killing and
believe spiritually protected from
bullets’ harm.

European Reaction
Fight back to defend their countrymen.
 Boxers aren’t protected from bullets so
European technology easily victorious.
 Win the Rebellion

Europeans decide
not to tear China to
pieces. Why?
Government reaction
Weaker than ever
 Gone in 1912

People’s reaction
Many different reactions:
 Some still oblivious. China is a big
place
 Feeling of being defeated both
militarily but also culturally. Self doubt.
 Rebellion. End the Qing Dynasty
forever.

Who Should now rule?
Candidate A
Candidate B
Candidate C
Candidate D
Create your
candidate’s campaign
http://www.northsidepr
ep.org/ncphs/depts/soci
al_science/cirving/chmr
a.pdf

http://flocabulary.com/modern-china/