Japan and China History - Essay Example

Beginning 18th century, China has become an established empire more than any other nations in the world. Taking pride of this stature, China has belittled other nations, resisting any form of influence in terms of politics, economy and culture. Not far from China is the smaller archipelago of Japan which, in contrast, has regarded itself vulnerable from the emerging powerful nations of that time. It is perhaps of these contrasting mind frames that less than half of the century after, the events in history would turn in favor of Japan, emerging as a quasi-modern state while leaving China in the verge of sovereign decline.

Japan has long been critical of China primarily because Korea, whose geographic location is essential in its defense, was under the Chinese autonomy. While China has become aggressive by declaring war with Japan only to end up losing later, the latter has taken the strategy of ensuring the independence of Korea through the Treaty of Shimonoseki instead of radically annexing Korea. By this treaty, several ports in China have been opened for international trade. However, Western powers were active in China at that time, especially Russia, demanding the withdrawal of Japan from its claim over Liaodong (Duiker & Spielvogel 664).

Yet instead of fighting for their claims like what China would have done, Japan ceded back their control and gave in with the demands of Russia. As a result, this strategy established diplomatic relations with Russia for a while allowing Japan to take over Korean affairs without intrusion from Russia. Japan also took advantage from this situation by collecting more war indemnity from China. The slow but sudden expansion of Japan has gradually caught the attention of other powerful Western nations such as United States and Britain.

The alliance formed with these Western powers has aided Japan to succeed in the Russo-Japanese war later in the history. Consequently, just like what Japan initially did with Russia, it also established a diplomatic relationship with United States by declaring respect over the latter’s territory in the Philippines in exchange of finally annexing Korea in 1908 (Duiker & Spielvogel 665). As mentioned, the turn of events can be rooted to the different strategies taken by both China and Japan. China has been very stringent with its culture, failing to take advantage over the opening of ports to establish economic and cultural relationships over the Western powers.

On the other hand, Japan readily embraced change in terms of economy, politics and culture. It welcomed the entry of Western technology and ideas such that by the second half of the nineteenth century, much of its literature, skills, and arts were already highly influenced by the West (Duiker & Spielvogel 666). Several explanations were provided why the two countries vary in the path taken to respond to the Western powers. First, it was hypothesized that the lack of resources of Japan put them on the safe side of embracing the Western influence since they did have nothing to lose and could not be an object of conquest (Duiker & Spielvogel 668).

Perhaps, this is exactly the reason why Japan has been more diplomatic with their actions without violence or revolution. Moreover, another reason provided was that China, having a heterogeneous ethnic composition, is more fearful for the effects of cultural change on their civilization (Duiker & Spielvogel 668). In contrary, the homogenous society of Japan has allowed them to be more open for transformation from the once feudal and agrarian state to a highly industrialized society. As a result of strategies employed as influenced by the different points of view of the two countries, development has speeded in Japan, leaving China behind.

Japan has emerged as one of the world’s imperialist powers now aimed towards the disintegration of the once culturally and economically powerful Chinese empire. Work Cited Duiker, William & Spielvogel, Jackson. World History. Boston: Wadsworth, 2010. Print.