Why were europeans nations interested in China?

Answer 1

That really depends on when you are talking about.

Until the 1840s you could say that the principal European Nations wanted China to open to trade, and to this end sought to establish trading posts and commercial treaties with China. The Chinese economy was largely self-supporting and the Chinese were suspicious and contemptuous of the europeans so they confined them to certain areas on the coast. The europeans, particularly the British then tried to create a demand for their goods in China which was not successful until they began to import opium, for which there had long been a demand and a trade in China.

The Chinese government became increasingly uneasy with this traffic and sought to control it or ban it. This caused problems with the British and eventually there was a war over it which the British won. They demanded the cession of Hong Kong as a trading base. from the 1840s the western powers increasingly made territorial demands and trade concessions from China which they perceived as weak and crumbling.

In the 20th century the Chinese replaced the old Imperial government with a republic but here was a civil war for nearly 30 years. Europe (and the US) at this time sought to mainatin their concessions and privileges in China without getting too involved in the very complicated domestic situation.

After WWII all rights and territories (except Hong Kong and Macau) were returned to China. After the communist takeover Europe (and the US) mostly wanted to contain Chinese communist influence in Asia. The British were successful in Malaysia but the French and Americans less so in Vietnam and Korea.

In the modern age i would say that Europe wants form China a peaceful economic development and partnership.

Answer 2

Back in the days of mercantilism European nations wanted to make money from any market they could, and China had a huge population that European goods could be sold to. [ Sounds more like these days ! ]

Silk and spices from the Far East were very much in demand.

Answer 3

At the time, China had a number of treasures that were quite valuable. Some of these items included silk, spices, porcelain, and many others. And the point that many of these objects were only found in China made it even more a bigger goal for the Europeans. The trade involved with these popular goods could easily make an average merchant very rich.

Answer 4

because they needed raw materials

Answer 5

raw materials