World Cultures Portfolio/China

World Cultures China Report about Spheres of Influence

Guidelines

World Cultures China Unit

Intro/Basics - Africa - Middle East - South Asia - China - Japan - Korea - Latin America

World Cultures Daily Questions

Notebook

Portfolio

Portfolio
- Sphere of Influences Report
- Mao Button Journal

Test/Quizzes

China Test Instructions

World Cultures Portfolio

Africa: HDI Graph Reflections - Decolonization Report
Middle East: Population Density Report - Essay: A Peaceful Vacation
South Asia: Rainfall Report - South Asia Comparisons Graph - Postcards
China: Sphere of Influences Report - Mao Button Journal
Japan: Natural Resources Report - Japanese Violence Journal
Korea: Physical Map Report
Latin America: Landforms Report
Worldwide: T-Shirt Trade Report

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 isolated from the world. Thus its history stems from that isolation.

For thousands of years, China developed more or less independently. To the south-east, lie 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 Siberia. To the east, lie the vast expanses of the Pacific Ocean. As a result, outside influences often could not make their way into China.

In addition, the Chinese disliked 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. Of course, when the Europeans came, the Chinese initially did not want them and treated them with an attitude.

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 had 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 port cities (Wikipedia, Unequal Treaties). Later came systems of extraterritoriality where foreign countries ruled certain areas, not subject to local laws (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. New railroads set up efficient transportation methods. Ships would travel back and forth between the countries bring boxes of goods.

The French extended 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 controlled 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 ended only 10 years ago as the British returned Hong Kong. After World War 2, the British kept Hong Kong as 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 integrate with the capitalistic system left alone (Wikipedia, Hong Kong). Today, Hong Kong continues to thrive, and sets an example for main land China.

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

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 the vast foreign influences which once gripped China, provided support for the communist revolution in China.

If they liked it or not, westerners have directly, and indirectly forever altered China's future. So much of its recent past focused on Europeans coming over and taking parts of it for their own goods. Once they left, China took a step away from the world. But overall, only relatively recently did the East even know the West existed, much less share in their technologies and trade.