Britain and China, two of the world’s most powerful nations in 1775, took antithetical approaches to dominating large portions of the world. China’s approach to achieving power was through certain tributary means, scare tactics and by being superfluous in trade. This approach allowed China to maintain the ability to produce more affordable, higher quality goods, thus allowing them to supersede other nations. While Britain, on the other hand, conceived ways to dominate by cunning ideas and investing stakes around the world, particularly in the New World. Both China and Britain were trying to build and maintain stronger nations, each competing to transcend over the other leading to the inevitable confrontation of their nations.
China’s dominance of the East Asian tribute trade system was in relation to being the world’s longest tradition of an empire. The tribute trade system included East Asia, neighboring states and groups of people that were not formally incorporated within the empire. To recognize their national power China expected paid tribute to their emperor from these states and people, both figuratively and literally. Paying tribute provided the opportunity for lucrative official and private trade. Trade then linked China with the tributary states and allowed them to gain political influence, even more than government had. China also traded as far as the western New World and to the European states. The Chinese empire doubled in size by the 1770’s by taking over connecting non-Chinese people and incorporating them and their land into the empire. China manufactured 80 percent of the world’s goods by producing cheaper and better quality products than other areas of the world could. They also traded for New America silver to use as a monetary system to stimulate their own economic growth but in return powered the early New World economy. At the end of the 18th century, China centered the East Asian world trade system.
China came to dominate because they were the most populated nation in the world which lead to their success. China also produced most of the world’s products. When producing much of the world’s goods, it clearly makes you one of the most dominant countries in the world, being that you can control the trade of goods with other nations. Other nations didn’t have to trade with China, but they did because China produced such great products and they were cheap too. China dominated and expanded rapidly, which led to them becoming so powerful. They took over and influenced neighboring nations to give them goods and services. If they the other nations didn’t comply, China would put fear in them by telling them that they would go to war knowing no one stood a chance against them. Other nations giving into China helped them become powerful as well. It helped them have money in order to produce the goods they wanted and support their economic system. With their superior trade system they basically dictated the market. They did that because they had such low prices and good products that no one could compete with them. With other manufactures shutting down or unable to compete, China could then set their prices and drive them up when they felt like it. It was good for China but not so good for the other nations.
Britain’s rise to the center of the capitalist world trade system was much different than China who had been a long standing empire. European movement to the New Americas lead to increased trade of food stuffs between the New and Old World. The Spanish conquest of the Americas allowed Spain to take control of some of the land ruled by Native Americans. Spain traded Indian silver and newly discovered silver from mines to China. Spain traded the silver to fund and power a war that was an attempt to unit Europe. The defeats of Spain in Europe lead to the creation of nation states throughout the area. War eventually broke out that involved all of the European states and defined the European state
