Introduction The Colonization of China refers to the period between the early 19th and early 20th centuries when foreign powers — particularly Britain, France, Russia, Japan, and later the USA — imposed political, economic, and territorial control over China. Unlike the direct colonization of India, China was subjected to a semi-colonial system through unequal treaties , economic domination, and military coercion. This period is remembered as the “Century of Humiliation” (1839–1949), beginning with the Opium Wars , which opened China to foreign exploitation and eroded the authority of the Qing dynasty. UPSC Relevance: Questions on the Opium Wars, Unequal Treaties, and Chinese resistance have appeared repeatedly in World History segments of GS Paper 1. Colonial Methods in China Colonization in China was subtle yet devastating . It was not about total territor...