Final answer:
The French, British, and Japanese empires believed their cultures were superior and sought economic benefits from their colonies but did not establish economic or social equality, nor provide significant political representation to colonial peoples. Instead, they engaged in economic exploitation with limited benefits for local populations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The French, British, and Japanese empires shared several characteristics during their periods of imperial expansion. They all believed that their cultures and societies were superior, which was partly justified by the concept of the 'Civilizing Mission' and social Darwinism. This belief underpinned their efforts to impart their customs, Christian values, and purportedly 'superior' societal characteristics to their colonies.
Another commonality was that they gained economic benefits from their colonies through the exploitation of resources, the establishment of new markets, and the creation of infrastructure to facilitate economic activities. Moreover, these empires generally did not establish economic equality or social equality within their colonies, nor did they provide substantial political representation to the colonial peoples. Instead, local populations were often placed in subordinate positions with limited opportunities for advancement, primarily serving the colonial administrations at lower levels.
While there were some cases of cooperation between local elites and the imperial powers, which resulted in certain privileges such as access to education or partnership opportunities, this did not equate to widespread political representation or equality. Additionally, the imperial powers reinforced their control by constructing infrastructure and introducing their own sports, education, and belief systems to 'civilize' the colonies.