Chapter 3: Opening up China to foreigners (1860-70) Flashcards
(42 cards)
When was the Treaty of Tianjin signed?
1860
What were the terms of the Treaty of Tianjin?
- Foreign powers had the rights to house their ambassadors in the capital
- Christian missionaries could travel and preach freely throughout China
- 10 further treaty ports opened on Yangtze River, Manchuria, Shandong, Guandong, Taiwan
- Taxes on foreign imports lowered
- Foreign ships given right of passage in all Chinese ports
- Opium trade legalised
- $4 million indemnity
What conflict resulted in the Treaty of Tianjin being drawn up?
The Second Opium War.
When was the Treaty of Nanking signed?
1842
Which two events triggered the start of the Second Opium War?
- Chinese officials boarding and arresting the crew of a British ship called the Arrow
- The murder of a French Catholic missionary
What did China’s failure to oppose Britain and France result in?
The USA and Russia pressing territorial and trade claims.
Why did Britain and France re-attack Tianjin in 1859?
- After agreements to ratify the treaty in 1859, diplomats travelled to Tianjin where the emperor opposed the establishment of embassies in Beijing
- The forts of Tianjin had been repaired and the river had been blocked off
When was the Burning of the Summer Palace?
1860
What happened in the Burning of the Summer Palace?
- 20,000 British troops marched on the palace in Beijing
- The palace was looted and burnt to the ground
Why was the Summer Palace burnt?
- Punishment for the imprisonment and execution of British negotiators sent to Tianjin
- An act of war against China
- A message to China that it must comply with foreign powers
What was the Convention of Beijing?
An addition to the original Treaty of Tianjin ratified in 1860.
What were the terms of the Convention of Beijing?
- The emperor apologised for the treatment of British envoys
- A further indemnity of $8 million was to be paid
- Chinese emigration on British ships was to be permitted
- Tianjin was opened as a treaty port
- The British colony of Hong Kong was expanded
- Territory north of Korea was ceded to Russia, becoming the port and city of Vladivostok
Why did the Western powers want to defend the Qing empire after the Treaty of Tianjin?
- All the concessions, trading rights, agreements and privileges had been created in the imperial system.
- Under new leadership, the Westerners would have to re-negotiate terms with whichever regime replaced the Qing’s
How and why did China’s relationship with the West shift after the Treaty of Tianjin was ratified?
They went from being enemies to allies, as the West’s interests in China gave them cause to support her growth and development.
What was the Ever Victorious Army and what did they do in August 1860?
- A foreign army established in 1860 fighting on the behalf of the Qing empire
- Defended Shanghai against an attack from the Taiping rebels
What political and diplomatic truth did Prince Gong have to accept after signing on to the Treaty of Tianjin and the Convention of Beijing?
- Foreign powers had become equal in status to China
- Chinese isolationism had come to an end
- China was forced to accept Western means and military support to survive
What was the sentiment behind the Self-Strengthening Movement?
China needed to modernise and accept parts of Western development to learn how to overcome it.
What was the Qing officials’ approach to self-strengthening?
The mandate of heaven had been restored with the new Tongzhi Emperor, and all that was needed was Western-style militarisation.
How was China modernised during the Self-Strengthening Movement?
- Jiangnan Shipyard commissioned in Shanghai in 1865 and another in Nanking, mass producing ships, guns and cannons
- Tianjin machine factory, Fuzhou Arsenal established
- Students of domestic and international affairs sent to study abroad
What was the impact of Tianjin on foreign trade in China?
- Trade spread inland via ports on the Yangtze
- Coastal outlets imported European goods
- Cotton was imported and textile mills established
- Fixed low tariffs on imports led to an influx of British imports
- More foreign merchants and businesses began trading in China
- Compradors emerged
Who were the compradors?
- Chinese who aided foreign firms with their dealings in China
- Investors in foreign firms
- China’s first entrepreneurs
What was the state of inland China after Tianjin?
- Peasants were too poor to purchase industrial goods
- Many provinces suffered from famines
- The Qing government offered little help
How did Qing officials feel about the growth of foreign trade in China?
- Conservative circles disapproved and saw it as incompatible with traditional Confucian values
- Progressive economic reformers believed that the Qing should actively support modernisation as a way to ensure the empire’s survival
How did the increase of foreign trade help China?
China was able to develop in peace:
- The Taiping and Nian Rebellions were put down
- China no longer faced a threat of war from the West
