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World Cultures China Report about Spheres of Influence

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China Spheres of Influence Map

Textbook Chinese Sphere of Influences Map

China has had a long and varied history. It has one the richest pasts of any nation, but one of the most volatile presents. It's the world's largest country by population and 3rd largest by area. But it also exists very isolate from the world. Thus its history stems from that isolation.

For thousands of years, China existed more or less independently. To the south-east, the Himalayas, the tallest mountains on earth. To the west lies the great Tibetan Plateau. To the north, the vast plains of Mongolia, and farther north, the barren waste lands of sibera. To the east, the vast expanses of the Pacific Ocean. As a result, outside influences often could not make their way into China.

In addition, the Chinese view in contempt of anyone who tried to dominate their "The Middle Kingdom." They held a view of the world, which placed them in the center. "Barbarians" lay outside of the circle, with the Chinese in the middle. Thus, with this air of superiority, the Chinese did not look favorably on trade with other nations. They felt as if they alone dominated the region.

On and off for thousands of years they traded with the people of the Middle East and lower Europe. But when the Europeans arrived in force, it was apparent that China lost their edge and regional superiority. The Chinese wanted two-way trade, but Europe didn't have anything to trade in return for porcelain, silk, spices and tea from China (Wikipedia, Opium Wars). So, the British attempted to get the Chinese addicted to Opium (Wikipedia, Opium Wars). China attempted to outlaw Opium, (which already was forbidden in Britain) (Wikipedia, Opium Wars).

However, the Chinese could not stand up to the British with their advanced warfare methods. The Chinese were forced to sign a series of unequal treaties (Wikipedia, Unequal Treaties). The first force the Chinese to open ports and allow Christan missionaries to preach in those ports (Wikipedia, Unequal Treaties). Later systems of extraterritoriality were set up where certain areas put not under local rule, but the rules of foreign countries (Wikipedia, Unequal Treaties). This angered many Chinese, but let foreigners set up bases from which to trade from.

Without going into the specifics of each father nation, colonization followed similar patterns in China. The country would find a good port location and establish a city there (German Historical Museum). It would bring in experts in city planning and construction to intelligently lay out and build the city. Sometimes, they would establish their own laws in the city through extraterritoriality (Wikipedia, Unequal Treaties). The city would then branch out into the surrounding countryside. Railroads would be built which set up efficient transportation methods. Ships would travel back and forth between the countries bring boxes of goods.

The French were able to extend their sphere of influence over much of Southern China, near the border with India. The British influenced a large section above that, but the Japanese were able to control some of that area's coastline. The Germans have a relatively small area surrounding Qindao. The Japanese extend a sphere on influence in sections of China near Korea. Finally the Russians extended their influence over a large part of northern China. Notice that no one extends their influence near Beijing.

"A sphere of influence is an area or region over which an organization or state exerts some kind of indirect cultural, economic, military or political domination" (Wikipedia, Sphere of influence). ?more

In fact, imperialism in Asia only ended 10 years ago when Hong Kong was returned to China. Hong Kong was kept by the British after World War Two and was a center for capitalistic entrepreneurs avoiding persecution (Wikipedia, Hong Kong). In 1984, the British government agreed to return Hong Kong to Chinese control, much to the dismay of most of its residents (Wikipedia, Hong Kong). China agreed to a 2 systems polity where only diplomatic affairs and national defense would be integrated with the capitalistic system left alone (Wikipedia, Hong Kong).

After the World Wars Two, however, the outsiders either could not longer keep control of their colonies and/or were no longer interested in having many colonies. Following World War Two, as in Africa, many European nations went home and declared their former colonies independent. Imperialization was over.

Unlike some nations, China focused internally, on communism, and shunned the outside world. Banning their books and influences, the Chinese wanted to remain independent, but they still strove to match other nation's levels of technology. Perhaps it was the vast foreign influences which once gripped China, that gave support for the communist rule in China.

If they liked it or not, westerners have directly, and indirectly forever changed China's future. So much of its recent past was focused on Europeans coming over and taking parts of it for their own goods. Until relatively recently, the East didn't even know the West existed, much less share in their technologies and trade.