Monday, October 7, 2013

West and China change since 1500

Opium, and Self-Strengthening (1800-1921)

I find a book in library, it named is The West and China since 1500. I am Chinese and I am interested in Chinese history, I want to know what happen between west countries and China since 1500. I also search more information in another book and I want to share it with my classmates.

This book described and analytical the relationship was changing between China and West since 1500. It divided culture, economic and political into three. The first one is: Coming Together, Rather Slowly and on China’s Terms. It compared China and West economies. “This is not to suggest that china was economically backward compared to late mediaeval or early modern Europe. For its time traditional China’s was a quite sophisticated economy, in advance of Europe’s in the development of such techniques as paper money and credit transfers. “<1> In that periods, China was a unenlightened country and it is try to change.

The second is: Closer Encounters, on the West’s Terms. West realized that they also need change and development themselves. This book also talks about the opium trade. “Western nations are experiencing an outflow of silver bullion to China as a result of the imbalance of trade in China’s favor, and they bring opium into China as a commodity to trade to reverse the flow of silver.”<2>

The third one is: Hither and Thither, in Search of Comfortable common Ground. Both of China and West countries realized that they need overcome their differences and are trying to find out a new forms of cooperation

<1>The West and China since 1500. pg15
<2>China and the West: Imperialism, Opium, and Self-Strengthening (1800-1921): Imperialism

No comments:

Post a Comment