The Chinese and Nepalese rulers had the support of their people and armies, making it difficult for foreign powers to conquer and rule over them. This was particularly true in China, where the large population and difficult terrain made it challenging for foreign powers to establish control over the country.
Its large size became an advantage, making it an elusive target for colonization. Britain and France, instead of gaining colonial rule, were able to gain some power over China through their imports and exports.
(Reuters) - Split between a densely populated mainland and over 200 islands in the South China Sea, the small, strategic territory of Hong Kong was under British rule for 156 years before reverting to Chinese sovereignty on July 1, 1997.
It was the end of an era: In July 1997, as the flag of the United Kingdom was lowered over Hong Kong, the prosperous colony was returned to China after over 150 years of British rule. The sun had finally set on one of the wealthiest modern outposts of the British Empire.
Britain seized Hong Kong during the First Opium War, and China's Qing Dynasty formally ceded it to the U.K. in a treaty in 1842. Until July 1997, Hong Kong was run by a British colonial administration.
The handover of Hong Kong (Chinese: 香港回歸) from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China was at midnight on 1 July 1997. This event ended 156 years of British rule in the former colony.
The Han dynasty marked the height of early Chinese expansionism. Under the Han dynasty, China managed to conquer northern Korea and northern Vietnam, annexing several parts of these territories in the process.
Thus Song China was the richest country in the world by GDP per capita at the turn of the millennium, by the 14th century parts of Europe caught up with it and the significant gap between China and Europe appeared by the middle of the 18th century.
At midnight on July 1, 1997, Hong Kong was peaceably handed over to China in a ceremony attended by numerous international dignitaries, including British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Prince Charles, Chinese President Jiang Zemin, and U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
Hong Kong was a colony of the British Empire and later a dependent territory of the United Kingdom from 1841 to 1997, apart from a period of Japanese occupation from 1941 to 1945 during the Pacific War.
Japanese occupation in most of Asia was brutal across their period of rule. In 1937 the Japanese took the Chinese capital of Nanjing, and in 1945 they retreated from the Filipino capital of Manila.
British settlement of Australia began as a penal colony governed by a captain of the Royal Navy. Until the 1850s, when local forces began to be recruited, British regular troops garrisoned the colonies with little local assistance.
The First Opium War which ensued lasted from 1839 to 1842. Britain occupied the island of Hong Kong on 25 January 1841 and used it as a military staging point. China was defeated and was forced to cede Hong Kong in the Treaty of Nanking signed on 29 August 1842. The island became a Crown Colony of the British Empire.
Beyond the health problems related to opium addiction, the increasing opium trade with the Western powers meant that for the first time, China imported more goods than it exported. Settling this financial problem eventually led to the First Opium War between Great Britain and China, from 1839 to 1842.
Since 1842, Britain had implemented 'colonial rule' in Hong Kong, but did not have sovereignty [over it]. As such, Britain had no right to allow Hong Kong to become self-autonomous or independent.”
United Kingdom (Britain) The British Empire was the largest of its kind in history, and once covered about one quarter of all the land on Earth. One of the last major colonies to be given up by Britain was Hong Kong which was given back to China on July 1st 1997.
During the First Opium War, China cedes the island of Hong Kong to the British with the signing of the Chuenpi Convention, an agreement seeking an end to the first Anglo-Chinese conflict. In 1839, Britain invaded China to crush opposition to its interference in the country's economic and political affairs.
Britain also wanted more control over their trade with China, as they could only trade with certain officials called Hong merchants. The Opium Wars resulted in two treaties, each expanding the size of Britain's Hong Kong territory.
Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China, with executive, legislative, and judicial powers devolved from the national government.
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in China
China's trade and investment reforms and incentives led to a surge in FDI beginning in the early 1990s. Such flows have been a major source of China's productivity gains and rapid economic and trade growth.
[1] Around 500 BC, the Mahajanapadas minted punch-marked silver coins. The Lost & Forgotten Wealth of India. If history proves anything, it proves that in ancient times, India was the richest country in the world.
World Wealth: Britain crowned fifth richest country in the world behind US, China, Japan and Germany.
First, it's hard to say whether, given time, China would have discovered the New World. We do know that after 1433, discovery stopped because the incentive structure as established by government policy did not encourage investment in overseas exploration. It was not only discour- aged, it was forbidden.
Japan had traditionally sought to avoid foreign intrusion. For many years, only the Dutch and the Chinese were allowed trading depots, each having access to only one port. No other foreigners were permitted to land in Japan, though Russia, France, and England tried, but with little success.
China unlike India or the various African colonies that Europe created actually had a central authority. They had an Emperor with full autocratic control over the country. It's also worth noting that the Emperor had a large and relatively loyal army under his control with the ability to take a punch from the West.