A Comparison Of The Economies Of Japan And China

Maxwell Heller

Mr. Wellington

World Studies

5 May 2014

The Economies of Japan and China

Historically, successful civilizations have tended to have constant economic growth. The civilization of China was not successful in the nineteenth century because it had a declining economy, while the civilization of Japan was successful in the same time period because it had a economic growth. As a result China was unable to focus on other key areas such as medical and technological advancements, native culture, and military conquests. Japan’s growing economy enabled it to innovate, grow their culture, and attain military power, all of which are measures of success. China was unable to grow socially and politically because they did not have economic growth.

In the nineteenth century China had a declining economy, and as a result they lost land and their military power decreased. China began the 1800s in isolation, they did not trade many goods with other countries, thus they had little economic growth. In 1793 Emperor Qian Long wrote a letter to King George III of England regarding trade, the Emperor said, “As to your entreaty to send one of your nationals to be accredited to my Celestial Court and to be in control of your country's trade with China, this request is contrary to all usage of my dynasty and cannot possibly be entertained” (Qian Long). China traded through only one port, Canton, which limited the amount of their exports greatly; they only traded a couple of items with England such as tea, porcelain, and silk. The British in the 1830s were in the middle of the Industrial Revolution and wanted free trade with China. After the Opium Wars, a series of wars between England and China, The Treaty of Nanking was signed in 1842, allowing...

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...rnment created some programs, such as public education, by declaring that it must be done and leaving it to the villages to finance and arrange for its provision” (Watkins). In the nineteenth century, China and Japan were two excellent comparisons of how economies can shape a nation; China failed to succeed and Japan succeeded.

Civilizations that have a great deal of land and a strong military tend to have strong economies. Japan in the 1800s is a perfect example of how economic growth can change the course of a nation for the better, by increasing its land and armed forces. China in the nineteenth century is an excellent illustration of how a declining economy can destroy a civilization, by taking away its land and decreasing its military strength. These two civilizations clearly demonstrate how economic growth can influence all aspects of society.