The Opium War
Before the Opium War
- In 1759, emperor Qianlong restricted European commercial presence to Guangzhou
- A merchant could only do business with a cohong, or a specially licensed Chinese firm, which had strict regulations established by the government.
- With the inconvenience of the cohong and the little demand for European products, merchants spent a lot of their silver bullion on Chinese products without much in return.
- Soon, the British began running low in silver bullion. Looking for alternatives, they found opium. Now the British gave China opium in exchange for silver bullion.
- Although trading opium was illegal, Chinese officials were not very strict in enforcing the law. But by the 1830s, they began to notice the toll it was taking on the country. Depleting silver reserves and increasing social issues led the Chinese to stop the opium trade and enlisting Lin Zexu to eliminate its existence.
- This angered Britain, who sent troops to reopen the opium trade, thereby initiating the Opium War (1839-1842).
During the Opium War
- Britain's navy overpowered the outdated military technology of swords and spears wielded by the Chinese, but the Chinese didn't surrender.
- The turning point of the war occurred when Britain tapped the Grand Canal. This allowed them access into China's interior regions. Powered by their newly updated steamboats that allowed them to go upstream, the Chinese were quick to surrender now.
Unequal Treaties
- After the Opium War, unequal treaties, a series of pacts, detailed foreign countries' new control over China.
- The Treaty of Nanjing opened all Chinese ports to commerce (as opposed to just Guangzhou) , legalized the opium trade, allowed the entrance of Christian missionaries, compelled the Qing government to bestow the highest status upon Britain, and gave extraterritoriality to its people. It also prevented the Qing government from establishing tariffs on imports.
- Extraterritoriality is when one is exempted from the local law.
- The Treaty of Nanjing only dictated British relations with China. Other nations, such as France, Germany, the United States, Japan, etc., had treaties of their own.
- By the end of the 19th century, China was effectively under the control of foreign powers.
Spheres of Influence
- Because of the unequal treaties, China's system of tributary states dissolved. France received Vietnam, Great Britain took Burma and Hong Kong, and Japan relieved China of Korea, Taiwan, and the Liaodong Peninsula in southern Manchuria.
- By 1898, spheres of economic influence had appeared.
- This is especially demonstrated when China was forced to grant exclusive rights for railway and mineral development to Germany in the Shandong Province, to France in the southern border provinces, to Great Britain in the Yangzi River valley, to Japan in the southeastern coastal provinces, and to Russia in Manchuria.
- Distrust among the foreign nations and fear of disruption of the balance of power prevented China's complete dissolution.