# data[].attributes.body
The tributary system was a method for China to control its trade with other nations. The Chinese sent out trades (exports) to others, but did not really buy things from others (imports). If a nation was to trade with nation they would have to be granted approval by the Chinese emperor. In addition, the westerners would have to show/demonstrate that they highly respected the emperor by bowing to him in the traditional ways and offering gifts. This system allowed China to have a favorable balance of trade. However, this would not help China in the future because so many countries were very eager to trade with China. The westerners were additionally suffering from this because they had an unfavorable balance of trade. Not trading a lot would also lead to China falling behind from other countries. While the other countries industrialized, China didn’t because it wouldn’t receive trades from the industrialized nations. This would lead to China losing much to the West because the West would soon gain military power and need to expand markets. The West would use this, in the future, to force China to trade with them and buy what they were selling, resulting in the Chinese empire decline/loss.

# data[].attributes.body
(Late 1700s)British merchants began illegally smuggling opium (drugs) into China. Many Chinese people become addicted, and they pay high prices for it, both money-wise and health-wise. The loss the Chinese received from this that lead to their further decline was a result in an unfavorable balance of trade and conflict with a more advanced Britain. Furthermore, China banned the opium, but the British would not care and argued on the ability of free trade. (1839) Chinese warships battle British merchants, but the Chinese have less advanced weapons, and were crushed by the English. The defeat from this war would lead to unequal treaties like the Treaty of Nanjing.

# data[].attributes.body
(1842) British forced China to sign and accept this treaty. China had to pay Britain back for what they lossed and gave Britain Hong Kong. In addition, China was forced to open 5 ports for foreign trade, and give British citizens in China the right to live under their own laws and be tried in their own courts. (Mid 1800s) China is forced/pressured to open more ports for foreign trade. They also had to let Christian missionaries into China. This shows how China lost a lot to the West because it explains how the West took land, money/resources/payment, and the ability to force China to open ports for them. The Chinese became part of British/Western pressure and control.

# data[].attributes.body
(1800s/19th century) Qing dynasty is already in decline. China’s peasants are having problems created for them, due to a population boom. In addition,  there were taxes on the foods and these taxes were not being paid especially by the rich. The peasants had too much weight on their shoulders that they could not handle. This would lead to a rise in poverty and thus lead to rebellions, led by peasants. One such rebellion is the taiping rebellion. The peasants and government had disputes and that created tension. They were distracted on these internal conflicts rather than on the Europeans trying to acquire their land. While China wasn’t losing anything to the West directly speaking, they were losing indirectly. The Europeans would be able to force China to do things even more and possibly even take complete control. China was weakening itself with its rebellion that weakened its government and prosperity.

# data[].attributes.body
(1850-1864) Taiping Rebellion-peasant revolt. Hong Xiuquan, the leader, called for an end to/of the Qing Dynasty. The rebels won large parts of China for 14 years. However, eventually, the government put down the rebellion. In the end, the rebellion was responsible for 20-30 million deaths. Qing government survived, but had to share power with regional commanders. Russia was able to take lands in the north, and Europeans kept heat on China. This could show how China was losing to the West because from this it can be known that the Europeans had influence and was gaining momentum and land in China. The rebellion was inspired by Christian missionaries/religion, a Western religion. Countries like Russia were taking advantage of this to further gain from China and continue their decline. This would lead to Japan wanting to take part in taking over China, resulting in a Sino-Japanese War.

# data[].attributes.body
(1894) The Japanese and Chinese went to war with each other. China was defeated by the modernized Japanese who were then part of Western imperialism. China had to give Japan the island Taiwan. In the loss, China’s weaknesses were displayed, and the advancing imperialists took advantage. China lost more land, and showed its weaknesses to the Western powers. This would lead to further loss for China and gain for the West in the decline of Chinese Empire. China was losing its control and its lack of modernized weapons would be exploited by the Western powers. In addition to this, it would lead to Europeans/imperialists wanting and taking out spheres of influence in China.

# data[].attributes.body
(After 1894) After the war with Japan who had joined the western imperials, China had lost even more, and became more valued and exposed for the Western imperialists. These powers were “carving out” their spheres of influence where they would have control. The British, French, Japanese, Russian, and German powers all took part of in getting their hands on parts of China. The carving out of China would lead to uprisings and rebellions such as the boxer rebellion and the need for reforms. However, China was losing more land and control over what they had previously owned. The empire was becoming part of and taken control of by Western influence.

# data[].attributes.body
(1898) Guang Xu, emperor of China at the time, released a hundred days of reform attempt after Western countries carved out their spheres of influence. The goal was to modernize China to help it keep up with Western powers. It was an attempt to modernize the civil service and industries. These reforms had an impact on schools, the military, and government. However, the reformers were rallied against, and lost, resulting in the imprisonment of the emperor and fleeing of reformers. China went into a time of uncertainty and struggling period. The Chinese empire was declining in the hands of the West. The imperialists made the empire have to go through times of attempted reforms and internal conflicts. The failure of these reforms led to empress Ci Xi going back to being in power.

# data[].attributes.body
(Around 1862-1908) Empress who ruled China for decades. Ci Xi was in rule from about 1862-1894. When she was in rule, a large portion of China’s westernization and modernization took place. Xi supported the boxer rebellion, and contributed to the empire’s decline in China. Ci Xi had conservative officials, and was conservative herself. This lead her to heavily resist the modernization of China. She also used lots of China’s money on herself, money that could have been used on China’s outdated military. This contributes to Chinese loss in the way that the West would be able to defeat China easier because they wouldn’t and couldn’t improve their military. Because of this, the foreigners would continue to push in China which many/all Chinese disliked. This would lead to more internal conflicts, call for reforms, and rebellions, like the boxer rebellion.

# data[].attributes.body
(1899-1900) Chinese form a secret society. Mission was to drive out imperialists trying to change China into something new and different. The boxers attacked these outsiders and was decimated by the imperialists. As a result, China once again lost assets and had to become more Western/listen to the imperialists. From this, the West/imperialists gained more influence and China was losing its power and control. They had to support Western culture and from a reform, had to study Science and Math instead to Confucian teachings. The Chinese empire became a Western influenced and running nation. This would lead to a nationalist revolution which became more motivated for reforms sparked by the boxer rebellion.

# data[].attributes.body
(Early 1900s)Nationalist feelings start to accumulate and rise after the failed boxer rebellion. Sun Yixian was one of these nationalists who wanted a republic for China. He had a goal of liberating China from western rule, incorporate a democracy, and ensure an economic safeguard for Chinese people. The Qing dynasty had ended and Sun Yixian was pronounced Chinese president in 1911. This would put China in internal conflict for decades. Ultimately, China lost to the West in the way that the seamlessly endless pressure and conflict with the imperialists made China see a need for reforms and change. This would result in more internal conflicts, adopting of Westernization, and fall of the Chinese Empire. Dynastic China became a Western influenced and adoptive republic.