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| Autors principals: | , |
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| Format: | Recurso digital |
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| Publicat: |
Zenodo
2025
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| Accés en línia: | https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17761830 |
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- The 19th century witnessed profound transformations in East Asia, largely driven by the inexorable expansion of Western imperial powers. This paper undertakes a comparative historical analysis of China's Qing Dynasty and Japan's Meiji era, focusing on their divergent responses to the external pressures that challenged traditional notions of statehood and sovereignty. The Opium Wars (1839-1842, 1856-1860) and the subsequent imposition of unequal treaties upon China represent a seminal period of sovereignty erosion, characterized by extraterritoriality, loss of tariff autonomy, and territorial concessions. In stark contrast, Japan, after the initial shock of Commodore Perry's arrival, embarked upon the Meiji Restoration (1868), a radical program of state-led modernization and redefinition of its international identity. This research argues that while China's attempts to resist and adapt were largely reactive and insufficient to stem the tide of imperial encroachment, Japan consciously and proactively reconstructed its state apparatus, legal framework, and diplomatic strategy to achieve full sovereign parity with Western powers. The paper explores the mechanisms through which China's sovereignty was compromised and how Japan strategically leveraged internal reforms and external diplomacy to revise its own unequal treaties and emerge as a regional imperial power itself. The contrasting trajectories illuminate the critical role of institutional adaptability, political will, and the understanding of international law in defining statehood in an era of global imperialism.