38 China’s First Industrialization: The Self-Strengthening Movement

 

 

 

 

List of contents

China’s First Industrialization: The Self-Strengthening Movement.- Foreign Relations.- Imperialist Powers.

About the author

One of the best sinologists of modern times, Guy Alitto is an American academic in the History and East Asian Languages and Civilization Departments at the University of Chicago. He is known in China for revitalizing the scholarship on Chinese Confucian scholar Liang Shuming. He is best known in America for his scholarship and for his role as translator for the first official Chinese delegations to the United States after Richard Nixon’s first visits to China.

Summary

This lecture explores the patterns of foreign relations in China from 1860 to 1895, highlighting the recurring themes and significant events that shaped diplomatic interactions during this period. It explores the emergence of a consistent pattern where imperialist powers, particularly Japan and Russia, sought to expand their influence in China, often at the expense of Chinese sovereignty. Despite portraying themselves as allies, Russia seldom provided genuine diplomatic assistance to China, preferring to extract concessions for their own gain. Conversely, Britain, as the dominant world power, tended to advocate for stability and diplomatic resolutions, rather than further encroachments on Chinese territory. The lecture also underscores the competition between Britain and Russia, exemplified by Russia's attempts to encroach on areas threatening British India, leading to tensions and strategic maneuvering between the two empires.

Product details

• Authors: Guy S. Alitto
• Publisher: Springer EN
• Languages: English
• Product format: Mixed media product
• Release: 13.06.2026
• EAN: 9789819566662
• ISBN: 978-981-9566-66-2
• Illustrations: Approx. 20 p. Book + Online Course.
• Series: The Uniqueness of Chinese Civilization in World History
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Philosophy > Eastern philosophy; China, Kulturwissenschaften, Asiatische Geschichte, Cultural Studies, History of China, Chinese philosophy, power dynamics, Foreign relations, Diplomatic Conventions, Imperialist Powers, Treaty Settlements