Comparison
The changes undergone by both of these powers over the 1800's are quite similar and shaped a new Eastern world. The new mentality of mass industry that had swept the West was now brought to the East in full swing with mass production overtaking the careful agriculture and simple industry that had ruled China and Japan for centuries. The militarization that Japan showed was also seen in the Chinese through the Opium wars and the war over Korea with Japan. After these wars, China was no longer an isolated nation. From then on, China became much more active in Asia as a whole, controlling other areas and expanding much like Japan as it expanded to over take Korea and become a real power in Asia. In these ways, imperialism struck China and Japan very similarly. However, there was a difference within the mindsets of the two nations. Japan channeled the militarization mindset of imperialism, focusing all its efforts on military gains and military expansion. China also had this mindset but to a far less degree. Instead, China expanded industry a lot and became even more of a superpower. China definitely had a military and was a military power to be feared, however its economic victories and cunning still shape China to this day.
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