Opening Up China To Foreigners Flashcards
What was the system of trade before the first opium war
The canton system
This was trade concentrated in canton, and heavily controlled by the Qing Government
Which treaty brought treaty ports to China
Treaty of Nianjing 1842 gave Britain 5 treaty ports.
Britain was also given the right of extraterritoriality within these ports.
What is MFN and what treaty brought this to China
Most Favoured nation: Brought in in 1860 after the treaty of Tianjin
This meant for Britain any treaty that was signed by the Qing with another nation Britain would also get the same terms
What was Britain given in the treaty of Nanjing
Hon Kong, Substantial indemnity to compensate for the losses suffered by its opium merchants, 5 treaty ports
How were forgeiners described in China
Barbarians
Yi - Alien
What was the arrow incident
1856 a ship flying the British flag, registered in Hong Kong was boarded by Chinese officials and the crew ere arrested on the grounds of piracy and smuggling.
Britain protested and the crew were eventually freed, but there was no apology nor assurances that ships under British protection would not be boarded again.
What was the result of the arrow incident
As China kept taking a antagonistic approach to the ‘barbarians’ this with the arrow incident and a wrongful murder of a french catholic missionary.
This gave grounds for Britain and France to declare war on China.
What effect did the treaty of Tianjin have on China
USA and Russia pushed for trade agreements seeing Chinas Weakness
Foreign powers had the right to house their ambassadors in Beijing, Christian missionaries were permitted to travel freely and spread their gospel throughout the realm (previously held in the treatyports)
10 more treaty ports including 4 on the Yangtze River, opium trade legalised, Christianity was to be tolerated and a indemnity of 4$ million demanded.
What were the main products demanded by the Foreginers in China
Tea, Silk and porcelain
What effect did foreign trade have on china
Originally foreign trade was alien to China but gradually Raw cotton began to be imported then a couple of decades later, textile mills were established in major cities like SHanghai producing clothes to export
China learnt the ways of the west - Using the Barbarians ways to defeat the barbarians.
The opening of treaty ports brought more foreign businesses and merchants to china and furthered China’s awakening from years of isolation.
What was the Compradors
These were a new Chinese commercial class who assisted foreign firms in their commercial dealings, becoming valuable assets.
These people because chinas first entrepreneurs investing in foreign firms and sometimes their wealth exceeded that of their employers., knowledge of and access too traditional trade riots which enabled foreign firms to establish roots in china.
What was the Tongzhi REstoration
A process named after the Tongzhi emperor who succeeded Xianfeng in 1860,
Linked to Chinas Self Strengthening movement. China attempted to strengthen the empire which had been increasingly discredited from the 1840s, culminating in the second opium war.
What was Britains Goal with China
Britains goal was purely trade in nature rather than colonisation.
What was the significance of Shanghai
1845 established, it was at the mouth of the Yangtze River, thousands of Chinese fled there after Taiping rebellion.
The settlement had its own police, fire and armed services as well as admin offices. This is where HSBC originated (the Hong Kong and Shanghai banking Corporation)
What was the significance of the Yangtze
Before railways the Yangtze was the highway of trade in China, establishing treaty ports after Tianjin, Britain was able to access a massive market numbering many million.
By opening the Yangtze valley, Britain established stable conditions for trade nearer to the centres of production and consumption, this cut logistics cost.
The river would be home to exporting petroleum, rice, cotton and tea.
Britains penetration fo the Yangtze offered China insights into British ways of trade ,diplomacy, administration and militarism.
Why was there a need for learning foreign languages
Unequal treaties were signed because of i capability to translate English to Chinese
Education of language did elicit. Civil service exams Jinshi had existed since the Tang Dynasty (896 CE)
Calligraphy was also studied, only 2% of all applicants were successful with the Jinshi
