Westernization Of Japan And China

Elizabeth Lee
Mr. Brondel
East Asians Studies
8 December 2014 Westernization of China and Japan Non Western countries such as China and Japan dealing with the pressure from the West to modernize, industrialize, and westernize. Japan and China both had significant differences in terms of how both parties dealt and responded to the pressure of West expanding throughout their lands. Although both countries had remarkable differences, there were definitely similarities. The differences and similarities on how China and Japan reacted to the western imperialism represents how the people of each nations thought and processed the West intrusion into their nations. In general, Japan was more successful in modernizing and industrializing during the Meji Restoration. As Japan was being be pressured with the continuous westernization, they realized that they themselves had to modernize and industrialize, during the Meji Restoration, in order to cooperate with the West. Japan began to further advance into the Industrial Revolution. After Japan was
forced into trading with the West, they realize how much behind the time they were in terms of industrialization and modernization. After realizing its weakness, they embraced the the westernization in order to achieve their ultimate goal of defeating the West and China. Predominantly, China never fully grasped the full concept of the necessity to modernize and industrialize because the people were extremely anti-Western and any form of reform.
This eventually lead to lagging behind Japan, especially economically. China, not being able to entirely realize the necessity to modernize and westernize, continued to fight against the West rather than the act of cooperation. An example would be the Boxer Rebellion, where many Chinese responded to the western intervention with brutal battles and persevering the unwindable on going tension between China and the West. China never truly had an official Industrial Revolution because they believed that the economy was thriving without industrialization which was furthermore rejected. China considered themselves, culture, and history superior to the barbarians which inhibited them from embracing the
modernization. Despite the significant differences between both China and Japan, there are similarities between both countries. China and Japan both maintained remaining as isolationist countries. However this was abolished when they encountered their initial western imperialism physical approach which was being forced to sign unequal treaties to open ports and cities to trade with foreign merchants. From 1894-1895, both countries desired control over Korea, however Japan’s modernized technologies were able to easily defeat the Chinese and ultimately be in possession of influence over Korea. All in all, despite the similarities between China and Japan, both countries responded in different ways to the bulldozers from the West in the nineteenth century. Japan gave into the demands of the West, for in which they abolished the isolationist policy, opened up trade and modernized successfully. China refused to break its isolationism held back by its antique institutions. Japan’s political system, dynamic nobility, and influence of culture changes from the West were elements behind Japan’s modernization and industrialization. Japan, although, is seen as being more benefited than China because they are in contact with the West however China’s extreme economic wise questions this view.