The Great Reversal

A vivid history of the relationship between Britain and China, from 1600 to the present The relationship between Britain and China has shaped the modern world. Chinese art, philosophy and science have had a profound effect upon British culture, while the long history of British exploitation is still bitterly remembered in China today. But how has their interaction changed over time? From the early days of the East India Company through the violence of the Opium Wars to present-day disputes over Hong Kong, Kerry Brown charts this turbulent and intriguing relationship in full. Britain has always sought to dominate China economically and politically, while Chinas ideas and exportsfrom tea and Chinoiserie to porcelain and silkhave continued to fascinate in the west. But by the later twentieth century, the balance of power began to shift in Chinas favour, with global consequences. Brown shows how these interactions changed the world orderand argues that an understanding of Britains relationship with China is now more vital than ever.