British Imperialism: Insights from China and Singapore

The Overview of British Imperialism with China and Singapore
In the 19th century, Britain obtained unprecedented economic profits in Asia through control of Singapore, as a colony discovered by Thomas Stamford Raffles, and China, as the British sphere of influence began with the Opium War. Under British imperialism, common people in Singapore and China experienced a hard time since the British extracted most interests. Finally, they ended their imperialistic relationships with Britain by gaining political and economic independence.
In 1600, Queen Elizabeth I officially approved the British East India Company to trade with other countries, which symbolizes the beginning of the Old Imperialism. That is, the British started to

practice limited trading with other parts of the world due to curiosity to the far east. After experiencing the industrial revolution in the 1800s, British industries produced many more products than needed domestically. Because of good economic conditions and the rising demand following the industrial revolution, Britain began to practice a new form of imperialism in seeking raw materials and markets. Meanwhile, the British East India Company started to seek political control over other countries to secure its benefits in the regions. The new era of the relationship between Britain and certain parts of the world was called “the New Imperialism”.
Thomas Stamford Raffles, an agent of the British East India Company, first discovered Singapore for Europe in 1819. The geographic factors soon attracted Raffles’ attention. The new shipping route between Europe and Asia that passed the Suez Canal, the Strait of Malacca and the Strait of Singapore, not only inclined to replace the old one, but also had huge potential to become one of the world’s busiest “crossroads”. In order to control the major traffic to and from China and Southeast Asia, the British East India Company purchased Singapore Island in 1824 and claimed official control over Singapore.
The new imperialism in China did not start as peacefully as in Singapore.

By the time when the new imperialism began in 1800, the British had been trading with China for over two hundred years. The British East India Company exported Indian textiles and other goods to China, while importing the very popular Chinese tea, silks and porcelain. However, the British East India Company perceived its limited profits. The Chinese government cut off diplomatic relations, and individual British traders began to intervene in what had been exclusively East India Company trading territory, as the new European-Asian shipping route opened. In other words, the British East India Company reached a trade deficit as they paid more silver to China than they received. For the sake of earning more benefits, the British East India Company managed to deliver large amounts of contraband opium to China. Since opium is highly addictive, the demand for opium soon increased surprisingly, and thus massive amounts of silver flowed back to Britain. At the same time, Chinese officials reacted strongly toward the illegal import of opium. Due to Chinese officials’ strict attitudes toward the opium, the British responded with force and started the Opium War. China lost the war, as expected. At the end, the Chinese prime minister felt compelled to sign the Treaty of Nanjing in

1842.
The Treaty of Nanjing not only was the first unfair treaty signed by China, but also marked China under the British sphere of influence. In the treaty, China gave the island of Hong Kong to Great Britain and agreed to pay a “total amount of twenty-one millions of dollars” as compensations to Great Britain for its loss of opium in Canton, the military budget and British traders’ loans. Also, China opened five ports and consented to practice extraterritoriality. That is, European lived by their own laws, instead of following Chinese laws, at these five ports. Moreover, China was forced to consult Britain for tariffs. The unequal clauses in the treaty brought the British mighty rights and benefits while it demolished the power and economy of China.
Conversely, Singapore attained unprecedented prosperity under the British rule in the 1800s. As a colony, Singapore was completely controlled by the British East India Company. The development of steamships and the opening of the Suez Canal had made Singapore one of the major port cities linked Europe and Asia. Furthermore, rubber plantation thrived in Singapore in the 1870s. Through rubber industry and the port, the British East India Company had gained a great amount of profits.
In 1942, the British authority collapsed in Singapore due to Japanese sudden attack. Since Britain overlooked Japanese military strength, Britain surrendered two months after the battle began. Singapore was thus under Japanese control. Though the British regained control over Singapore in 1945 because Japan lost in the World War II, nationalism grew in Singapore caused people to ask for rights and involvement of their country’s future. The first prime minister of Singapore was soon selected by a public vote in 1959. In 1963, Singapore officially disengaged from the control of Britain and joined Malaysia for a new nation as a result of 71% approval in the public vote.
On the other hand, China experienced an era of turmoil in order to be freed from British control. The Qing Dynasty lost control over China due to corruption and decline of economy. Meanwhile, nationalism and yearns for economic and political independence fueled revolutions in China. Vacuum power also led to brutal civil wars among different parties. In 1949, the Communist Party officially established the People’s Republic of China, which marked Chinese economic independence and the end of the British sphere of influence. In 1997, Britain transferred the sovereignty over Hong Kong to the Chinese government. As a result, the British imperialism in China officially reached to the end.
British imperialism over China and Singapore had significant effects in both countries.

For instance, English is the official language, both in Singapore and Hong Kong. Moreover, Singapore and Hong Kong both became international financial and economic centers. The new technology, education systems and the Enlightenment ideas introduced by the British built a bridge between their past to their irreplaceable positions in the modern world. Yet, Singapore and China suffered severe economic distress for years. Also, the hardship of Chinese and Singapore citizens under the era of imperialism was inestimable. Imperialism could not be praised or blamed. It is the product of historical background and complex relationships among

people.