> anytime they tried to achieve anything, they were either conquered by an aggressive imperial power It seems to me, the opium wars and the resulting partition

> anytime they tried to achieve anything, they were either conquered by an aggressive imperial power It seems to me, the opium wars and the resulting partitioning was solely a fault of the Qing government. Sure, the Brits were big bullies but China was playing on a home field and could overpower invaders with sheer numbers. Qing state was already breaking from inside by then. No wonder the didn't survive long after.