"Dancing With Wolves"

The Opium War crushed a political myth that China is the civilization center in the world. Impressed by Western superior material civilization through the two Wars, the mandarins of Qing government have developed a school of Westernization to get rid of troubles and strengthen themselves through innovation led by five representatives of Prince Gong and Wenxiang in Beijing, Zeng Guofan, Zuo zongtang and Li Hongzhang in regional arena, they have acquired a peaceful and steady outer surroundings by acknowledging unequal treaties, made efforts to realize their ideal of power and prosperity through new "self-strengthening" political movement which is famously known as "Tongzhi Restoration"in Qing history.In a sense, "Tongzhi Restoration" is the "honeymoon" of Sino-foreign relations. The Western powers changed their armed intruding strategies, adopted "cooperation policies" with Qing government, by their powerful military and economic strength, through the hands of diplomats, merchants and missionaries' less aggressive encroachment, they attempted to melt Chinese civilization into their series of ideological modes. This, of course, agitates comparative resistance and innovation in Chinese social aspects from political, economic, military and foreign affairs to cultural thinking and behavioral modes. Through ten chapters, the thesis makes research on the violent confrontation and changing process of Sino-Western civilization, with purpose of revealing the essence of Sino-foreign cooperation during "Tongzhi Restoration".For the first time, the thesis adopts large amount of editorials of "North-China Herald" which was initiated on Aug.3rd,1850 in shanghai by British merchant Henry Sherman to make comments on the features of Sino-foreign cooperation during "Tongzhi Restoration".Amidst the foreign newspapers by Western powers, "North-China Herald" is the most popular, the deepest influential one, which enjoys the name of "official Britain organ" in the eyes of foreigners in Shanghai. To some extent,...