British Imperialism: Insights from China and Singapore

The Overview of British Imperialism with China and Singapore In the 19th century, Britain obtained unprecedented economic profits in Asia through control of Singapore, as a colony discovered by Thomas Stamford Raffles, and China, as the British sphere of influence began with the Opium War. Under British imperialism, common people in Singapore and China experienced a hard time since the British extracted most interests. Finally, they ended their imperialistic relationships with Britain by gaining political and economic independence. In 1600, Queen Elizabeth I officially approved the British East India Company to trade with other countries, which symbolizes the beginning of the Old Imperialism. That is, the British started to

By the time when the new imperialism began in 1800, the British had been trading with China for over two hundred years. The British East India Company exported Indian textiles and other goods to China, while importing the very popular Chinese tea, silks and porcelain. However, the British East India Company perceived its limited profits. The Chinese government cut off diplomatic relations, and individual British traders began to intervene in what had been exclusively East India Company trading territory, as the new European-Asian shipping route opened. In other words, the British East India Company reached a trade deficit as they paid more silver to China than they received. For the sake of earning more benefits, the British East India Company managed to deliver large amounts of contraband opium to China. Since opium is highly addictive, the demand for opium soon increased surprisingly, and thus massive amounts of silver flowed back to Britain. At the same time, Chinese officials reacted strongly toward the illegal import of opium. Due to Chinese officials’ strict attitudes toward the opium, the British responded with force and started the Opium War. China lost the war, as expected. At the end, the Chinese prime minister felt compelled to sign the Treaty of Nanjing in

For instance, English is the official language, both in Singapore and Hong Kong. Moreover, Singapore and Hong Kong both became international financial and economic centers. The new technology, education systems and the Enlightenment ideas introduced by the British built a bridge between their past to their irreplaceable positions in the modern world. Yet, Singapore and China suffered severe economic distress for years. Also, the hardship of Chinese and Singapore citizens under the era of imperialism was inestimable. Imperialism could not be praised or blamed. It is the product of historical background and complex relationships among