Western media often cite the ‘Century of Humiliation’ to explain China’s increasing assertiveness towards the West. It hints at a sense of revenge from China, akin to a once-bullied child seeking retaliation when they become as strong as their former perpetrators.

I learned about the Opium War and the invasion of the Westerns in 1840-1940 from my early school years. This period was filled with stories of indemnities, territorial cessions, and loss of sovereignty. Hundreds of Billions of dollars were paid. Taiwan and Hong Kong were taken away. Westerners enjoyed special privileges in Chinese lands.

It was a situation no single country would want to be in or should be in.

In my youth, I wasn’t particularly interested in this history and didn’t pay much attention to it. After all, those events happened 100 years ago.

However, the recent wars between Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Palestine, and the increasing animosity and competition between Western countries and China have made me think:

  • What has caused the bloodshed between these countries?
  • Is there justice in the world?

In this post, I want to summarize what I have learned about China during this period of humiliation.

Books

Here are the main books I have read on this topic:

  • World Order by Henry Kissinger
  • On China by Henry Kissinger
  • From Third World to First, Lee Kuan Yew
  • On Serach of Morden china by Jonathan D. Spence
  • To Change China by Jonathan D. Spence
  • History of the World Map by Map from DK
  • 中国近代史 蒋廷黻
  • 天朝的崩溃 茅海建
  • 万古江河 许倬云

If you want to go beyond the clickbait, political correctness, and propaganda in the media and social media, and engage in some serious thinking, I highly recommend reading “World Order” by Henry Kissinger. Initially, I wasn’t very passionate about a foreigner’s account of China. However, after reading “World Order”, I decided to buy his book “On China”. And I’m glad I did. In my estimation, it the one of the best book about China, chinese books included. I consider Herny Kissinger a thinker more than a politian.

Centry of Huminnation for China

We can break this peroid in four phases:

  • 1837 - 1861: Opium Wars: Arrogant, ignorant and weak China was defeated by Britain, twice.
  • 1861 - 1888: A period to take a break and attempt to strengthen itself.
  • 1895 : First Sino-Japanese War and beyond: Defeated by its neighbor and Western powers.
  • 1938 - 1945: Second Sino-Japanese War, part of the Second World War.

Here is the story in twitter format:

  • China had enjoyed preeminence in the world.
  • However, western countries were becoming increasingly strong militarily thanks to enlightenment, scientific, and industrial revolutions.
  • China, being closed off and unaware of the changing world, still clung to the illusion of itself being the alpha and center of the world.
  • Driven by economic interests, Britain began importing opium to China through a government-backed company, effectively making Britain a state drug dealer.
  • China started cracking down on the drug trade.
  • However, backed by powerful military capabilities, Britain defeated China, and China lost.
  • But China didn’t learn from this experience.
  • Twenty years later, Britain desired more from China and beat China once again, with China losing again.
  • This time, China woke up and wanted to learn to defend itself and possibly seek revenge.
  • However, the learning was not effective. This was manifested in the failure of the 1895 Sino-Japan war. Japan, once a country paying tribute to China, defeated China. This was the final blow to China’s sense of superiority.
  • Encouraged by China’s defeat to Japan, more countries came in 1900 and took part in dividing China.

Opium Wars

Instead of summary what I read and think. I will defer to chatgpt. I asked following questions and fact check the facts with the book I read. For subjective opinion, I’m also satisfied and inline with chatgp’s answer. So I will use it in full as an co-writer.

Click to Show Details of questions to chatgpt Tell me about the Opium war using following structure? - What happened? Background. Major development. Consequence. - What does this incident tell us about the reality of the world in terms of justice and power? - How is the suituation different nowadays? - How could China have done better?

What Happened?

The Opium War occurred between 1839 and 1842 and involved a conflict between China and Britain. It stemmed from Britain’s increasing demand for Chinese goods and the trade imbalance that ensued. To address this, Britain began exporting opium from India to China, despite the Chinese government’s attempts to ban the drug due to its harmful effects. The major development occurred when the Chinese government seized and destroyed British opium shipments, leading to British retaliation and the outbreak of hostilities. The conflict concluded with the signing of the Treaty of Nanking in 1842, which forced China to cede Hong Kong to Britain, open several treaty ports to foreign trade, grant extraterritorial rights to British citizens, and pay a large indemnity to Britain.

Consequences

The Opium War had significant consequences for China, marking the beginning of a period of foreign intervention and encroachment on Chinese sovereignty. It led to territorial concessions, economic exploitation, and social upheaval, often referred to as the “Century of Humiliation.” Additionally, the Opium War exposed weaknesses in China’s military and governance systems, highlighting the urgent need for modernization and reform.

What Does This Incident Tell Us About the Reality of the World in Terms of Justice and Power?

The Opium War underscores the imbalance of power and the absence of justice in the international system during the 19th century. It demonstrates how powerful nations could exploit weaker states for their economic interests and exert dominance through military force. The unequal treaties imposed on China reflect a system of international relations characterized by coercion rather than fairness or mutual respect.

How Is the Situation Different Nowadays?

In contemporary times, the balance of power has shifted, with China emerging as a major global player. Unlike during the Opium War era, China now possesses significant economic and military capabilities, allowing it to assert its interests on the world stage. Additionally, the international community has evolved, with greater emphasis placed on multilateralism, diplomacy, and respect for sovereignty. However, power dynamics and challenges related to justice and fairness still persist in the global arena.

How Could China Have Done Better?

In hindsight, China could have taken several steps to better protect its interests and sovereignty during the Opium War. These include implementing more effective measures to regulate trade and control the influx of opium, strengthening its military capabilities, pursuing diplomatic solutions to resolve conflicts, and undertaking comprehensive reforms to modernize its institutions and adapt to the changing global landscape. By doing so, China could have potentially mitigated the adverse consequences of foreign intervention and maintained its sovereignty more effectively.

Treatie

Click to Show Details of questions to chatgpt List the indemnity China paied in follow treaties. Convert those indemnity to equivent usd in 2020. Also list the GDP in both China and Corrssponding country. - Treaty of Nanking - Treaties of Tianjin - Treaty of Shimonoseki - Boxer Protocol

Indemnity

Treaty Indemnity Paid by China (中国赔款) Equivalent Value in 2020 (USD)* (2020 年等值美元) GDP of China (Estimated) (中国 GDP 估计) Corresponding Country(s) (对应国家) GDP of Corresponding Country(s) (Estimated) (对应国家 GDP 估计)
Treaty of Nanking 21 million silver dollars (2100 万银元) Approximately $750 million (约合 7.5 亿美元) Not available Britain (英国) Approximately £380 million in 1840 (1840 年约为 3.8 亿英镑)
Treaties of Tianjin 8 million taels of silver (800 万两白银) Approximately $230 million (约合 2.3 亿美元) Not available Various Western powers (多个西方列强) Not available
Treaty of Shimonoseki 200 million silver taels (2 亿两白银) Approximately $7.6 billion (约合 76 亿美元) Not available Japan (日本) Not available
Boxer Protocol 450 million taels of fine silver (4.5 亿两纯银) Approximately $17.2 billion (约合 172 亿美元) Not available Eight foreign powers (八个外国列强) Not available

Territorial Cessions and Force Ports Open for Trading

Treaty Territorial Cessions (领土割让) Ports Opened (开放港口)
Treaty of Nanking Hong Kong (香港) ceded to Britain Canton (广州), Amoy (厦门), Foochow (福州), Ningpo (宁波), Shanghai (上海) opened to British trade
Treaties of Tianjin Kowloon Peninsula (九龙半岛) ceded to Britain , Additional territories ceded to other Western powers Tientsin (天津), Newchwang (Yingkou) (营口) opened to foreign trade
Treaty of Shimonoseki Taiwan (台湾) and the Pescadores Islands (澎湖列岛) ceded to Japan, Liaodong Peninsula (辽东半岛) and leaseholds of Port Arthur (旅顺) and Dalian (大连) ceded to Japan Specific ports not specified in the treaty
Boxer Protocol Not specified Hankow (Hankou) (汉口), Nanking (Nanjing) (南京), Tientsin (Tianjin) (天津), foreign trade

Discrimination Against Chinese Aboard

With a weak China, chinese were also discriminated aboard, by Laws.

Year Country Law Description
1855 Australia Chinese Immigration Act of 1855 Imposed a tax on Chinese immigrants entering the colony of Victoria. All other states followed suits later.
1875 US Page Act of 1875 Prohibited the entry of Chinese women for immoral purposes, effectively targeting Chinese prostitutes.
1882 US Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 Suspended the immigration of Chinese laborers and prohibited Chinese immigrants from obtaining citizenship.
1885 Canada Chinese Immigration Act of 1885 Imposed a head tax on Chinese immigrants entering Canada.
1888 Australia Chinese Immigration Restriction Act 1888 Imposed a poll tax on Chinese immigrants entering South Australia.
1888 US Scott Act of 1888 Prohibited Chinese laborers who left the United States from returning, even if they had valid certificates of residence.
1892 US Geary Act of 1892 Extended the Chinese Exclusion Act for an additional ten years and required Chinese residents to carry identification certificates.
1899 New Zealand Immigration Restriction Act of 1899 Imposed a poll tax on Chinese immigrants entering New Zealand.
1901 Australia Chinese Immigration Restriction Act 1861 Imposed a tax on Chinese immigrants entering the colony of New South Wales.
1905 Australia Immigration Restriction Act of 1901 Also known as the White Australia Policy, aimed to restrict non-European immigration to Australia.
1907 US Immigration Act of 1907 Further restricted Chinese immigration by redefining the term “Chinese persons.”
1910 Australia Immigration Restriction Act Amendment Act 1909 Extended the powers of immigration officials to conduct dictation tests in any European language.
1917 US Asiatic Barred Zone Act of 1917 Expanded restrictions on immigration from Asia by creating a barred zone encompassing much of the continent.

Those discriminatory immigration laws were not dismantend as later as 1960s-1970s. In the United States, this happend with the introduction of the Immigration and Nationality Act Amendments of 1965. In Australia, the Racial Discrimination Act in 1975.

Lessons

Be strong.