Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, China faced significant challenges that reshaped its societal and political landscape. The intervention of Western powers, primarily through imperialism, led to considerable unrest and conflict, notably seen in the Opium Wars.
Each of these created a weakened government, falling economy and corrupted culture.
Imperialism in China caused tension between the East and West and influenced Chinese politics because of the Opium Wars, the Taiping Rebellion and the Boxer Rebellion.