Imperialism in China

Domination of China started with Opium Wars.

Opium Wars

• Before opium wars only two ports opened to foreign traders. 
• No market for British goods in China. 
• British merchants started smuggling Opium into China on large scale. Very profitable trade.
• Did immense physical and moral damage to Chinese. 
• In 1839, China seized opium cargo and destroyed it. 
• Britain declared war and defeated China. 
• China forced to pay heavy damages and open 5 port cities to British traders. 
• Chinese government agreed that future British subjects in these port cities would be tried for any crimes in English rather than Chinese courts. - Known as extraterritorial rights.
• Chinese government not free to impose tariff on foreign goods. 
• Hong Kong given to China. 

China-Japan War

• Japan tried to increase her influence over Korea.
• Korea under Chinese overlordship. China resented; two countries went to war in 1894.
• China got defeated. China gave Korea her independence, ceded Formosa and other islands to Japan.
• Forced to pay heavy war damages of 150 million USD. 
• France, Russia, Britain and Germany gave loans to China to meet this payment. 
• In lieu divided China into spheres of influence. Each country has certain regions of China reserved exclusively for its purpose. 
• Germany: Kiachow Bay + Shantung + Hwang Ho valley.
• Russia: Liatong Penisula + right to build railroads in Manchuria. 
• France: Kwangchow Bay + 3 southern provinces to China. 
• Britain: Wei-hi-Wei + Yangtze Valley.
• US feared that its trade with China would be shutoff suggested "Open door"/ "Me too" policy.
• Open door - all countries will have equal rights to trade anywhere in China. 
• Britain supported US to discourage annexation of China by Japan and Russia. 
• Scramble for privileges stopped in China after an uprising against the foreign power known as Boxer rebellion (1898-1900).
• Foreign powers were victorious and levied heavy damages on China as punishment. 
• China was not conquered and occupied by any imperialist country, but the effects of these developments were same as in areas which had been colonized. 
• Division of China into spheres of influence - "cutting of the Chinese melon"

China's String of Pearls

Image Source : www.china-briefing.com

The String of Pearls refers to the Chinese sea lines of communication which extend to Port Sudan. The sea lines run through the strategic choke points  as well as other strategic naval interest such as Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives and Somalia. China has created bases in Indian Ocean to secure its oil and trade routes. Also it can use these to choke Indian sea routes to rest of the world. China is following the policy of containment of India.

China is heavily investing in infrastructure projects in India’s neighbouring countries through its cash diplomacy.  China is building Sittwe port in Myanmar, Chittagong port in Bangladesh Gwadar port in Pakistan, Hambantota deep sea port in Sri Lanka, Marao port in Maldives and a military base in Seychelles with the excuse of countering attacks on Chinese vessels from Somalian pirates. China has offered training to Nepalese military in Nepal, which would allow Chinese army to have permanent base in Nepal. Consequently, all these developments provide an excuse to Chinese army and naval force to have permanent base in Indian Ocean and in India’s neighbouring countries.  

Strategically, having Chinese naval force in Indian Ocean is a cause of worry for India. Now China can easily monitor all our missile activities done from Chandipur, from port Sittwe in Myanmar. On our western coast China has base at Gwadar port in Pakistan. China from here can choke our oil supplies which we import from Arab nations. Since India imports 80% of oil, it heavily comprises India’s oil security.

China is involved is building road and implementing other infrastructural projects in PoK region. Also, China has improved its transport infrastructure near Indo-China border. Now China can place its Army on Indo-China border for war within one week than earlier required time of one month. China has encircled India from all direction. China can use these strategic bases to curb India’s ambition to become bigger regional player and to be an important player in world politics.