Chinese Self-strengthening mov

nineteenth century. It argues that the movements' failure was due to its proponents

fundamental ignorance of the requirements for industrial modernisation, due to their

continued belief in the institutions and traditions of Confucianism, and their great concern

to protect China's sovereignty from Western imperialism. This is shown by the

progressives limited vision of modernization, which they saw in terms only of acquiring

Western military technology, and not in terms of the reform of Chinese institutions. Nor

could they overcome conservative Confucian opposition, which feared that the changes

would bring only social disharmony. The Self-strengtheners concern to protect China's

sovereignty, led them to reject foreign loans and to rely on domestic resources only. This

forced them to rely on a policy of 'slow' modernization, which ultimately failed when put

to the test twenty years later. Finally, their lack of technical knowledge, combined with a

'blind faith' in Western experts, created a fundamental contradiction between desires and

actions, whereby the Self-strengtheners actually destroyed the very technology they so

came to protecting sovereignty, even "Those Chinese officials . . . Who should have been

and the reliance on slow modernization. Finally, the technological backwardness of

application."7 This belief can be seen in the writings of Li Hongzhang who stated "

Yet this attitude, shared by the Self-strengtheners, appeared to ignore reality; that

firearms is it absolutely impossible to catch up with them."8

Some topics in this essay:
Chinese Self-strengthening, Wei Yuan, Arguably Tomioka, Self-strengtheners Confucian, Ten China, Li Hongzhang, Dowager Tz'u-hsi, Li Self-strengtheners, Chinese Confucian, Shen Pao-chen, western imperialism, self-strengthening movement, modernization china, political economic, lack technical knowledge, lack technical, modernization terms, limited vision, technical knowledge, attempt modernization, china's sovereignty, concern protect china's, protect china's sovereignty, defend western imperialism, opposition confucian conservatives,