• China's military weakness was exposed since the Opium Wars.
• Major loss against Japan in 1895 highlighted this.
• Solution? Looked at Japan’s modernized military.
• Young Chinese cadets, like future Nationalist leader Jiang Jieshi, trained in Japan.
• Japan influence = major in China’s military training. E.g. Tokyo minister believed China's military would be "Japanized."

🛠️ Modernizing the Navy

• Purchased iron-clad warships.
• Docks for their own ships.
• Arsenals for marine cannons.
• Problem: Came too late for the Manchu regime.

• Achievements
  • 1890-5 = 3 mines, 3 iron works, 7 textile mills!
  • Majorly in the northern & eastern coastal areas.
  • Southern and inland areas? Not so much.
• 🚧 Limitations
  • 🌍 Geographic Limit: Successes not widespread.
  • 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Tiny Proportion: Progressive leaders were few.
  • 🏛️ Reform Limits: Manchu regime resistant to major changes.
    • Real-world example: Imagine trying to upgrade a vintage car to an electric one, but only being allowed to change the tires. Not enough, right?
• 📜 Traditional Systems Dominate: Mandarin system persisted despite some reforms.
• 🏭 Industrial Expansion: Limited to few areas like Jiangsu, Guangdong.
• 🧐 Cultural Views: Many saw Western modernization as betrayal.
• 🧑‍💼 Managerial Gap: Too few trained young Chinese managers.
• 🌉 Infrastructure Issues: No holistic approach or integration.