For me, one of the most expressive examples of this is the letter that King George III, from Great Britain, You sent, in 1793, to Emperor Qianlong, through your special envoy, Lord Macartney,proposing the opening of Chinese ports to trade with the British.
let's go to history: for many centuries China remained closed to exchanges with other countries.. The adventurers – nicknamed by the Chinese as “foreign devils” – who dared to get behind his back were often even at risk of life. However, the calls “Chinese” – porcelains, sedas, etc. – from the “Middle Empire/Country” (as it translates “Zhongguo”, what is the meaning of china in mandarin) – stirred up the greed of Europeans. Several nations sent emissaries to the Beijing court in an attempt to create channels of trade. George III, bolder, decided to send a deputy carrying a personal letter to Emperor Qianglong (1711/1799) proposing “safe and sound relations of trade”.
Even before reaching Chinese ports, the ship carrying the emissary was forced to affix a flag on the mast with the words “Tribute-bearer from England” , which is how the Chinese qualified the gifts that Macartney took. on top, the protocol of the Forbidden City required those who presented themselves before the Emperor to do the “kow-tow”, that is, kneel down three times, and touch the head to the ground, as they approached the “God” incarnate.
That's when the thing fell apart…riled up, Macartney said he would only comply with protocol if a high court dignitary did the same in front of his king's portrait.….After a lot of negotiation, A form of compromise was reached and Qianlong agreed to receive the emissary.
But, your answer is a “raw work” of disdain… Already at its beginning Qianlong claims…”You, O King, live beyond the confines of many seas, nevertheless, impelled by your humble desire to partake of the benefits of our civilisation, you have dispatched a mission respectfully bearing your memorial”…..and follow: “as to your entreaty to send one of your nationals to be accredited to my Celestial Court and to be in control of your countryâs trade with China, this request is contrary to all usage of my dynasty and cannot possibly be entertained….Europe consists of many other nations besides your own: if each and all demanded to be represented at our Court, how could we possibly consent? The thing is utterly impracticable….. Our dynastyâs majestic virtue has penetrated unto every country under Heaven, and Kings of all nations have offered their costly tribute by land and sea. I set no value on objects strange or ingenious, and have no use for your countryâs manufactures”.
Irony,,,Qianlong was the last great monarch of the Qing dynasty. Invaded by European powers in the 19th century, the Empire suffered the vicissitudes of colonialist greed that led to two impious wars- the calls “”Opium Wars” (1839 e 1856) – against the British Crown, which it sought to balance through the spread of the addiction to opium smuggled from British India, the balance of trade that was extremely in deficit., with this making China a country of drug addicts. The rescue of the shame of “Century of Humiliations” and the search for the missing link in history is, ultimately, at the psychosocial root of the communist revolution, which later metamorphosed into Deng Xiiaopingâs reforms, e, successively, na RPC do “China Dream” de Xi Jinping…
“Far fetched”?…so let's reflect…When I was born, in 1945, from the Caribbean to Burma, the sun did not set on the British Empire, today, Brexi…
Who´s next?
I strongly recommend that friends read Qianlong's letter, below. it's a gem…
Emperor Qianlong: Letter to George III, 1793 | US-China Institute
