During the Industrial Revolution, China and Europe had similar occasions for growth and development; it is clear that Europe seized available opportunities and implemented them eagerly. In contrast, China chose to resist external influences and remain less industrialized during that period. This essay will focus on the government stance regarding international trade and how that position directly affected the progress of industrialization in these two parts of the world.
When addressing this issue and its development in China, it is important to consider the history of the Qing Dynasty and its resistance to the inclusion of outsiders, particularly in regard to trade. Though European leaders eagerly pursued potentially lucrative dealings with China, their best efforts proved ineffective at changing the mind of a steadfast Chinese government. When responding to an overture by the British to embark upon a trade relationship with China, Chinese ruler Qian Long tells King George III, “(i)f you assert that your reverence for Our Celestial dynasty fills you with a desire to acquire
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” As far back as the Ming dynasty, this attitude resulted in weak trade connections and extremely limited access to Chinese goods by outsiders; this policy, while restrictive, did not directly harm the robust Chinese economy. However, when restrictive trade combined with a government-directed, societal focus on agrarian pursuits, it ultimately led to a slower development of industrialized commerce. With no external competition for goods or resources, the Chinese focused their efforts and attention on agricultural activities rather than those inspired by an international trade race; this released them from the resulting competitive pressures and blunted the pull of the Industrial Revolution within their