Chinas Position Facing International Challenges - Essay Example

Two paragraphs analyzing the of affairs the of affairs in China and 2) Chinas position facing international challenges. The primary state of affairs in China during the Qing dynasty was to develop political and judicial system as well as a strong army to protect the dynasty. It was characterized by a government headed by an emperor who was assisted by six boards or ministries. Each ministry was headed by a president who was assisted by four vice presidents. The Qing Dynasty operated under an ethnic policy which provided that appointments to the government should be divided among Han officials and Manchu noblemen who should go through a thorough state examination. The outer court located in the southern area of the Forbidden City presided over routine issues. All other important matters were carried out in the inner court in the northern part of the Forbidden City, decided by the Manchu polity and the imperial family. The international challenges facing China’s position can be assessed using both internal and external factors. First, the backward agricultural economics of the state were suffered from the impact of modern industrial economics brought by foreigners. As modern industrial production increased, the agricultural productivity began to fall, leading to the change of the whole society from agricultural civilization to industrial civilization. Secondly, feudalism in China was different from the foreign republican democratic system. Feudalism became rigid in the late Qing period in the interior of China. The Taiping rebellion rose against the feudalism system. Some western countries such as America and Europe also began to conquer other foreign countries during the Qing period. At the time, China had become one of their targets because of its backwardness. Later, the boxer rebellion rose in China to fight against colonial oppression and the feudalism system. Civilization brought by foreigners also eroded the cultural systems and heritage of China. When Europeans and Americans started to recognize the Chinese people, the traditional intellectual Chinese started to take part in the political and economic systems of China. The most significant evidence was that Sun Yat-sen overthrew the Qing rule and established the Republic of China. 2. What are your ideologies? Why are they suitable for 1905s China and better than your rivals? My ideologies are about reforms. Being a reformer in Chinas 1905s during the Qing dynasty would mean overcoming the bureaucratic structures of the government. As a reformer, I would recommend and implement various reforms in the military, administrative, and fiscal systems to eliminate bureaucracies and encourage coordination and representation in all decision making activities of the government. Like in the Boxer Protocol, reforms would include improvement in the tax systems, subsidies and benefits offered by the government. The tax reforms would include enforcement and collection of land taxes to reduce inefficiencies and conflicts in the lenient approach of landowning. The revenue received from taxation would be used to improve various sectors of the economy including irrigation, roads, schools, and charities and benefits to needy members of the society such as old people and people living with disabilities. There should also be reforms in the electoral system in which the people would have more power and independence to choose their leaders. The reforms also involved changes in the legal code and abolition of the examination system. The legal code could be reformed to provide more liberty and civil rights to the citizens, and to protect human rights. This form of legal reform would improve democracy and collaboration between the Manchu and Han groups, as well as the improved performance by the six ministries. Military reforms can also be used to strengthen the military. Such reforms would include increased weaponry, structural changes in tactical and strategic approaches and leadership, and other changes in the entire military. Chinese Generals in the Qing Dynasty such as Zuo Zongtang supported the young Tongzhi Emperor in 1861 to strengthen the military through the Tongzhi restoration. Reforms in the Tongzhi Restoration included the adoption of Western technology to preserve the Confucian values. These reforms would strengthen the military against enemies. Institutional reforms are also necessary to enhance a stable dynasty. By using financial support and structural changes, the government should develop reforms to various institutions. For example, the Machu and Han courts should be reformed through structural changes to enhance independence and successful enforcement of laws and justice. The six ministries should also be reformed to improved their efficiencies and minimize bureaucracies. In the Qing dynasty, the success of institutional reforms was seen through the unification of the ministry of foreign affairs. These reforms would apply to the China of 1905 and would be better than those of rivals because they lead to significant changes in political, institutional, social and economic systems. The resources that will enhance this success include the military support, availability of land, financial resources, and military technologies from external supporters. Reforms are superior to revolution because it strengthened the military and the rule of law in the dynasty. Revolution would ruin the trained and equipped army and the navy. The reformers that would support the reforms of the dynasty include Liang Qichao, Zuo Zongtang (leader of the military), Zeng Guofan, Li Hongzhang, and the young Tongzhi Emperor. These reformists strengthened the dynasty through institutional, fiscal and financial reforms. The reformers faced significant opposition from revolutionaries. Revolution ideology was developed and advocated by people such as Sun Yatsen who wanted to institute modern democracies. This would change the systems completely rather than strengthening the existing ones. The revolutionaries would introduce Christianity and advocate for a new government. This would significantly affect the Chinese values and heritage; and it would require a lot of resources. Furthermore, it would weaken the dynasty and make it vulnerable to attacks from external forces. Empress Cixi supported self-strengthening reforms but rejected the Hundred Days’ Reforms of 1898 because she claimed that they were detrimental to the power of the dynasty. Although she did not support revolution, she also rejected radical reforms. She supported the Boxer rebellion of 1900 which developed in Northern China to oppose foreign invasion. The reformers would influence Cixi by allowing her to make significant reforms in the military that would enable her to defeat the foreigners. 3. How are you going to convince the Chinese people to follow you? How are you going to compete with, ally with, attract support from, or undermine your rival? The Chinese people would be convinced by the reforms by showing them the direct benefits of the reforms as opposed to revolutions. In this case, the financial, fiscal and military reforms would yield benefits which the society should be educated about. For example, the tax received from tax reforms on land ownership should be used efficiently to change the lives of people positively through good roads, charities, and other benefits and impacts that people can feel directly. The Chinese people would therefore support the reforms because they can see the benefits of supporting it. The problem would be the rivals who support monarchies and revolutions. The reformer would compete with the revolutionist by explaining why revolution would deplete the resources and power of the dynasty rather than strengthening them. For example, the people would be told that the revolution would require a lot of resources in the economy to put up a new government and develop new system. The rivals such as Cixi would be good allies as well because they had power and influence in the dynasty. Therefore, the reformers would ally with them by supporting her position to fight against foreigners in the Boxer Rebellion. She would then be welcomed to support the reform agenda in exchange for the reformer’s support of the Boxer Rebellion. Lastly, revolutionist Sun Yatsen and his revolution team would be undermined by convincing people not to listen to him. The Reformers should have advocated for Confucian values parallel to the Christian values advocated by Sun Yatsen. The Reformers of China in 1905 failed by attempting to assassinate Sun Yatsen. It would be successful to preach parallel values to his own Christian values to undermine his approach. Works cited Spence, J. D. The search for modern China. New York: Norton, 1990. Print. Read More