COMPARING JAPANESE AND CHINESE IMPERIALISM



Part I. Compare & Contrast. Using the information you have learned about Japan and China and your textbook, fill in the following chart comparing and contrasting imperialism in the two countries.

|TOPICS |JAPAN |CHINA |

|Attitude towards modernization |- Although they had mixed feelings at first, the Japanese |- China wanted to maintain their old traditional values and |

| |chose to abandon its centuries of isolation and learn from |keep their dynasty system, which had been in existence for |

| |the West. The Japanese had heard news of British victory |4,000 years. Also, for thousands of years, China had been the |

| |over China in the Opium War and the unequal treaties that |most dominant power in East Asia and they, therefore, |

| |were forced upon them. The Japanese knew it would only be a |continued to hold the (Social Darwinism) belief that they were|

| |matter of time before western powers began seeking trading |still superior than anyone else, including Europe and the |

| |rights in their country too - They wanted to beat Western |Western world. Thus, the Chinese wanted to remain isolated and|

| |powers at their own game. Japan quickly transformed itself |were resistant to modernize. |

| |into a modern industrial power and then set out on its own | |

| |imperialist path | |

|Borrows and adapts western ways|- Issued Meiji constitution (based on the German model), |- China remained resistant to adapt western ways, and they |

| |established a western-style bureaucracy, hired western |rejected foreigners. |

| |experts to teach modern technology; and sent leaders as well| |

| |as young samurai overseas to study western governments, | |

| |economies, technology, and customs. Japan then went through | |

| |an Industrial Revolution | |

|Military changes |- Strengthened their military (Navy) by improving their |- Weak military – were technologically underdeveloped (i.e., |

| |technology (steel ships, better weaponry, etc.) and |had wooden ships and lack of modernized weaponry), which made |

| |subjecting all men to military training and service – |the Chinese incapable of being able to fight/compete against |

| |fighting no longer exclusive to samurai |other more dominant European powers |

|Economic changes | - Gov’t set up a banking system, built railroads, improved |- Originally, China had a favorable balance of trade |

| |ports, organized a telegraph and postal system, set up |(exporting more than they imported). Soon, however, they |

| |schools and a university, and built factories, which they |became addicted to the opium that was being sold to them by |

| |sold to wealthy families (zaibatsu) so they could further |the British (against the government’s will) and paid for it in|

| |develop them |silver. This disrupted their economy because they now started |

| | |importing more than they exported, which caused them to lose |

| | |money. This led to the Opium War - China lost. Despite |

| | |resistance, China was forced to open 5 ports for trade. |

|Territorial conflicts |- Expanded its Empire by defeating China in the |- China lost territory as it was being carved up into spheres |

| |Sino-Japanese War (1894) which gave them treaty ports in |of influences among various imperial powers, like Great |

| |China and control over Taiwan. They also defeated Russia in |Britain, Russia, and France. They also lost control of Korea |

| |the Russo-Japanese War of 1904, winning rights in parts of |to Japan. |

| |Manchuria, and were eventually able to take control of | |

| |Korea. By the 1900s, Japan was the strongest imperial power | |

| |in Asia. | |

|Reform movements |- Meiji reformers ended feudalism and underwent a period of |- Eventually, China made attempts to reform, i.e., Boxer |

| |Meiji Restoration (1868-1912) whose goal was to make Japan a|Rebellion, Taiping Rebellion, but it was a little too late. |

| |rich country and strengthen its military |Reforms failed. |

|Attitude toward imperialism |- Pro-imperialism – quickly transformed itself and became |- Very resistant to changing their traditional ways and are |

| |the strongest imperial power in Asia. They wanted to beat |becoming a “victim” of imperial powers seeking to take control|

| |the Western powers at their own game. |of their lands |

Part II: Analysis. Using your chart and notes, answer the questions below.

1. How do you account for the differences in the attitudes toward westernization between Japan and China?

- Japan was open to westernization because they realized that they, like China, would soon be carved

up into various spheres of influences by more dominant, imperial powers if they didn’t respond

proactively and become modernized, civilized, and industrialized. Thus, Japan set out to beat Western

imperial powers at their own game by becoming an imperial competitor.

- China, on the other hand, wanted to hold onto their old traditional ways that had worked for them for

4,000 years.

2. In your opinion, what were the most important factors leading to Japan’s imperialism? Explain why you chose those factors. Hint: Use your organizer to help you cite examples!

- Japan wanted to learn from the mistakes that China had made, i.e., resistance to modernize and

industrialize, defeat in Opium War due to underdeveloped military and technology, etc., which

resulted in their territory being carved up into spheres of influence by various European powers. To

prevent the same thing from happening to them, Japan decided to undergo the industrial revolution to

improve their technology and strengthen their military. They made reforms and restorations to

westernize at an alarmingly rapid speed, and eventually became an imperial power themselves.

3. In your opinion, what were the reasons for China’s inability or refusal to westernize? Explain your reasons.

- China wanted to maintain their old traditional ways and keep their dynasty system, which had successfully been in existence for 4,000 years. Also, for thousands of years, China had been the most dominant power in East Asia and, therefore, continued to hold the (Social Darwinism) belief that they were still superior than anyone else, including Europe and the Western world. Thus, the Chinese wanted to remain isolated, rejected foreigners, and refused to “westernize.”

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