George Macartney Quotes
Scarcely a year now passes without an insurrection in some of their [China’s] provinces. It is true they are soon suppressed, but their frequency is a strong symptom of the fever within.
China had learned to grow new crops from the Americas and their greater ability to produce food led to large population growth which was straining the other national resources and the economy, technology and government could not handle the growth, producing much unhappiness and discontent.
George Macartney, 1737–1806, British Statesman, First British Ambassador to China, Report on the conditions in China under Emperor Qianlong
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
The Chinese Emperor Qianlong would not allow entry to Chinese ports by Western (Christian) traders {641621}. The nation was already somewhat unstable {641623}, and it might not take much to topple it.
Referring to the proposed Constitution:
The Empress had earlier decided not to try and suppress the Boxers when they started attacking foreigners--{641838}. But now things had gotten out of hand and many ordinary Chinese people—especially Chinese Christians-- were suffering Boxer abuse. Cixi thought the government had to “ally” with the Boxers in the hope that she could influence directions in the future. This, of course, made her anathema in the West and forever damaged her reputation and legacy in Western history.
While the intelligence apparatus of Great Britain and America completely missed the collapse of the Soviet Union, one man, Levin, clearly predicted it. This quotation is from that article.
- Born: May 14, 1737
- Died: May 31, 1806
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George Macartney, 1st Earl Macartney KB was a British statesman, colonial administrator and diplomat. He is often remembered for his observation following Britain's success in the Seven Years War and subsequent territorial expansion at the Treaty of Paris that Britain now controlled "a vast Empire, on which the sun never sets".
