China

Two British Embassies to China: 1793 and 1816

Chinese Governments are notoriously difficult in their relations with Europe. G.H.L. LeMay gives a chastening account of two early British attempts to get into diplomatic touch with Pekin.

China: Revolution in the Streets

The cityscapes of the world’s most populous nation are expanding at a bewildering rate. But China’s current embrace of urban life has deep roots in its past, as Toby Lincoln explains.

Who Got Mao Right?

The legacy of the Great Helmsman is the source of bitter conflict over China’s future direction, argues Tim Stanley.

The Opium Wars

The wars of 1839-42 and 1856-60 are a perfect case study of the divergence of opinion that the British Empire continues to generate.

China's Tall Poppy Syndrome

Jonathan Fenby on the long history behind the rapid demise of one of the brightest lights in China’s political firmament.

The Birth of China's Tragedy

The failings of China's 1911 revolution heralded decades of civil conflict, occupation and suffering for the Chinese people.