In 1800 China, the world's longest running civilisation, was a global powerhouse controlling one-third of the world economy. The Middle Kingdom's wealth shaded even the combined might of Western Europe. The just-born US was barely troubling the scorers rating less than 1% of the world economy.
The resources and dynamism of the land that represented All Under Heaven were so vast that China hardly needed to reach far beyond its borders except to receive emissaries from nearby nations coming regularly to pay 'tribute'.
This splendid isolation was almost a deliberate choice as, apart from the voyages of the great Chinese mariner Zheng He in the 1400s who sailed the world with the biggest armada of the largest sailing ships the world would ever see, China had no interest in or need for expansion. It could if it wanted. Zheng He's ships were so big the largest were the size of football fields with so many sailors that they even had supporting ships dedicated to nothing more than growing fruit or carrying livestock.
This only stopped when the Emperor became worried about his northern defences and had to divert resources into strengthening the Great Wall, causing the fleet to be disbanded. But other nations were not so self-contented and in 1793 the British government made its first official contact, requesting permission to establish an embassy in the Chinese capital, their interest no doubt sparked by stories of wealth from the fading Portuguese empire that had a base on the island of Macau in return for annual 'tribute'.
This British contact happening shortly after the industrial revolution had propelled rapid western technological advances showcased how far China had fallen behind and the once superpower was now in no position to halt the British desire for unfetted trade access. China did at least try to restrict the foreign access to a single port around Canton but the British, who were soon followed by the US and later the French, weren't satisfied and to make matters worse for China they were offering opium sourced from India as their main form of exchange.
The damage the narcotic was doing to China forced the Chinese government to impose restrictions that aggressive western navies put down with deadly force in a conflict that would become known as the First Opium War of 1839-42. Chinese naval forces being weakened after centuries of China not believing it needed a strong navy meant they were no match for the foreign economic allies and so when the Chinese sued for peace the treaty terms were harsh. Access rights deep into China, the island of Hong Kong and later, following the Second Opium War of 1856-60 when the Chinese staged a failed fight back against the oppressive treaty conditions of the First Opium War, the Kowloon Peninsula. But the leader of the western group, Britain, didn't just want trading rights, it wanted territory and two decades later it began projecting power eastwards from its Indian base and forced China to relinquish protectorate control over Tibet. And then it was the Japanese' turn.
While the Chinese Court resisted western influence and languished, the Japanese Meiji Court had been forced by their US dominators to westernise quickly and by now the Meiji forces were vastly superior to those of their Chinese near neighbor. So when by 1895 tensions between China and Japan over which nation would control the client state Korea - which had long been the natural buffer between these two states -- lead to war the Chinese didn't stand a chance. The resultant treaty with Japan was just as draconian as the ones the British had imposed and China was forced to relinquish the island of Formosa (Taiwan), its interests in what is now North Korea and pay massive reparations.
China had by now been so plundered by the west that they were just 10% of the world economy.
Roll on to 2011 and China is still an economic prize but this time the tables have turned. Investors, politicians and naïve union officials wanting to figure out China's next move should be thankful the Middle Kingdom's isn't interested in settling old scores. Giddyup.
