Responses of China and Japan to the Challenges Posed by the Modern Western World

East Asia Past and Present
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In the 19th and early 20th centuries, China and Japan contrasted sharply in various aspects, despite being next-door neighbors. The conspicuously distinct elements included political, social, and economic formations. On one hand, relative stability characterized the political landscape of Japan, which helped the country to make significant steps towards modernization and industrialization. The Meiji ruled the country for four and a half decades, introducing modernization into society, politics, and economy. One cannot say the same about China under the Qing dynasty. The dynasty faced mounting pressure from internal and external forces, dramatically declining its legitimacy. The imperial rulers, for one, failed to increase taxes as they focused more on keeping internal stability intact. This inevitably resulted in limited resources, which slowed economic reforms considerably. Granted the profound disparities between the two neighbors, they responded differently to the challenges posed by the modern Western world in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[Milton W. Meyer Japan: Politics. Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2012, 1.] [Karina Moxon. From dynasty to decay: an analysis of 19th century changes to the Chinese political economy. March 28, 2019. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/lseupr/2019/03/28/from-dynasty-to-decay-an-analysis-of-19th-century-changes-to-the-chinese-political-economy/, par. 7.]
Awareness of the Crisis Caused by the West
From the early 19th century, Japan was keenly conscious of the crisis portended by Western intrusion. Since the country was not yet fully developed, it appreciated that standing up against Western countries would be counterproductive. As such, the country sought alternative mechanisms to placate the West. One of the strategies Japan employed in this respect was negotiations. For instance, when the Japanese administration deemed it appropriate to terminate the unequal treaties with the West, it sent Iwakura Tomomi, a court noble, to negotiate treaty revision. As a result, the country earned reciprocal rights for travel, navigation, religion, and residence. It also became the first Asian country to break free of juridical aspects of extraterritoriality. In the same light, when Japan landed and encountered Russian presence and rivalry in Kuriles and Sakhalin, the Japanese leader, Tokugawa, sought a compromise. In the end, Japan surrendered its claim to Sakhalin while Russia reciprocated by ceding southern Kuriles. In short, in cognizance of its military and economic inferiority at the time, Japan sought peaceful means to resolve standoffs with Western countries. Consequently, the readiness and willingness of the Japanese leaders to solve feuds amicably won the admiration of the West, which spurred its economic growth significantly. This culminated in more meaningful relationships, which saw the economy grow exponentially.[Meyer Japan: Foreign Relations. Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2012, 2.]
On the flip side, China seemed less aware of the crisis presented by the West and inclined towards using combative means to respond to Western interference. One of the reasons why they adopted the hard-line stance was because of th...