The Lion and the Dragon: Britain and China: A History of Conflict

Napoleon warned that China would shake the world if awakened, and Lawrence James' history explores the relationship between Britain and China between the Opium Wars and the transfer of power in Hong Kong. He also follows the parallel trajectories of four competitive empires and the fortunes of the United States. Successive British governments saw China as a source of wealth, but never sought to make it into another India. Paramount were internal stability and fiscal responsibility, which were the lubricants of trade. A unified nation with economic and military muscle is intent on reversing its recent history, and its present rulers brook neither dissent nor popular unrest.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 432 pages
Publication date: 01 August 2024
Publisher: Orion Publishing Co

Napoleon once cautioned, "Let China sleep; when she awakens, she will shake the world." Lawrence James' comprehensive history explores the complex relationship between Britain and China from the onset of the Opium Wars in 1839 to the transfer of power in Hong Kong in 1997. THE LION AND THE DRAGON delves into Britain's role in China's awakening and examines the interactions between the two nations during a period when a revitalized China indeed had a significant impact on the world. James also traces the parallel trajectories of four competing empires - the British, Chinese, Russian, and Japanese - throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, as well as the fortunes of a fifth imperial power, the United States. Successive British governments viewed China as a source of wealth that required protection. Local objections were suppressed through force, as evidenced by the Opium Wars of 1839-42, 1856-7, and 1859-60, which demonstrated the Qing emperors' inability to safeguard their country. Indian troops were deployed in each campaign and manned Britain's small garrisons in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and other Treaty ports. However, Britain never sought to transform China into another India. Instead, it allowed the emperors and their officials to govern, provided they remained compliant and accommodating to British interests. Stability and fiscal responsibility were paramount, serving as the lubricants of trade. A unified nation with economic and military might, cognizant of its ancient past as one of the world's great powers, has been determined to reverse its recent history. Lawrence James vividly recounts a time when China's internal divisions invited foreign powers to view her as a treasure trove to be plundered at will. This historical warning elucidates why China's current rulers tolerate no interference in their affairs.

Weight: 226g
Dimension: 128 x 198 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781474610209