By the early 20th Century, China was broken down into various 'areas of influence' between foreign powers such as United States, Portuguese, France and the United Kingdom.
China's reputation as a powerful and rich nation had already dwindled.
The central Chinese government itself was weak and was in de-facto control of foreign powers.
The Chinese people resented foreign influence in their country which eventually led to the 'Boxer Rebellion'
By 1911, a revolution finally replace the 2,000 year old Chinese empire system and paved the way for the first Chinese republic.