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First Catholic church in Beijing.
The first ever Catholic church was built in Beijing, the city that was the heart and soul of China's primary beliefs, to promote Western Christianity. -
The Treaty of Nerchinsk
Russian pioneers met the Manchus in what is known today as North-Eastern China. Using the common language of Latin, which the Chinese learnt from Jesuit missionaries, the Chinese emperor, Kangxi, and Russian tsar, Peter I, negotiated the Treaty of Nerchinsk in 1689, which defined the borders between Russia and China, some of which still exists to this day. -
British East India Company establishes a trading post in Guangzhou
The British East India Company places its first trading post in China using the city of Guangzh. -
The Treaty of Kiakhta
The Treaty of Kiakhta was signed between the Chinese and the Russians to delimit the remainder of the eastern portion of the Sino-Russian border. -
All foreign trade was confined to Guangzhou
All foreign trade was confined to Guangzhou, which resulted in foreign traders needing to limit their dealings to a dozen officially licensed Chinese merchant firms. -
Revolt in Taiwan
Taiwan revolts against China, under the influence of the the proclamations of Lin Shuangwen, the leader of the Taiwan rebellion. -
End of Revolt in Taiwan.
After much blood was shed, The Qing Government brutally crushed the Revolt with their firearms superiority. -
First Chinese convert to Western Christianity
After Britain's catholic influence had been in China for so long, it seemed like the idea of the Chinese converting to Western Christianity wasn't going to happen, until 1814, when the first Chinese man ever converted to British faith. -
The First Opium War
After British merchants had been smuggling opium into China while drastic prohibitory laws against the opium trade were made by the Qing government, war broke out between the Brtish and the Chinese. -
The First Opium War ends
Unable to combat Britain's modern arms, the Chinese were defeated and were forced to provide the ports of Guangzhou, Jinmen, Fuzhou, Ningbo, and Shanghai for British trade and residence. In addition, Hong Kong was ceded to the British. -
The Second Opium War
The second opium war broke out following an allegedly illegal Chinese search of a British-registered ship, in Guangzhou. -
The Second Opium War ends
After an Anglo-French force occupies Beijing and destroys the Imperial Summer Palace, China is defeated and is forced to give in to British demands once again. -
Franco-Chinese War
War began between the French and the Chinese for control of Vietnam. -
The Franco-Chinese War Ends
The Chinese fleet of 11 steamers was destroyed by the French at a large shipyard at Fuzhou. As a result, China was defeated and signed a peace treaty. -
Sino-Japanese War
Conflicts arose between China and Japan, primarily over control of Korea, resulting in the Sino-Japanese War. -
The Sino-Japanese War ends
Because of the Qing dynasty's failed attempts to modernize its military, the Qing leadership sued for peace, thus ending the war. -
New Territories of Kowloon
The British acquire a ninety-nine-year lease over the so-called New Territories of Kowloon, which increased the size of their Hong Kong colony. -
The Hundred Days Reform
The Hundred Days Reform was a series of reforms ordered by the Qing emperor, Guangxu. These reforms were aimed at making sweeping social and institutional changes. These reforms were a response to defeats by the Japanese, French and the British in recent wars. -
Spheres of Influence
Britain, Japan, Russia, Germany, France, and Belgium each gain spheres of influence in China. -
The End of the Hundred Days Reform
The Hundred Days Reform was short lived, as it was put to an end by Empress Dowager Cixi, Prince Duan and powerful conservative opponents. -
The Open Door Policy
The United States proposed that China have an "open door" policy whereby all foreign countries would have equal duties and privileges in all treaty ports within and outside the various spheres of influence.
