Final answer:
During China's semi-colonial era, beliefs ranged from support for Mao's anti-imperialist message to striving for national independence despite foreign pressures. The fragmentation of dynastic rule and struggles for modernization were key issues, alongside regional entities like Hong Kong and Taiwan pursuing distinct paths.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the period when China was semi-colonized, the Chinese had a range of beliefs and responses to the encroachment of Western and Japanese imperial powers. Mao's message resonated with many in China and the broader Third World, identifying with the struggles against European imperialism and advocating for a unification against these forces. Chinese leaders worked to build influence in Southeastern Asia and Africa, with other developing nations looking to China for support. However, these nations also strove for independence, accepting aid while guarding their autonomy. Meanwhile, the Korean peninsula, while influenced by the Chinese examination system, maintained its unique aristocratic structures and indigenous identities.The fragmentation of the Tang dynasty resulted in local powers creating small, sovereign states, with several groups like the Khitan Liao and the Xia beginning to settle and adopt agrarian lifestyles akin to Chinese civilization. During the Song dynasty, though experiencing economic and population growth, China had difficulty defending its borders against seminomadic steppe peoples.
During the Three-Way Split in China, European colonial influence waned as Japan continued its expansionist policies. Dr. Sun Yat-sen championed an independent Chinese republic, free from both dynastic rulers and colonial influences. His death led to the Nationalist party, under Chiang Kai-shek, assuming power and ousting both foreigners and Communists. Throughout these periods of change and upheaval, China underwent various moments of self-reflection, resistance to change, and efforts to modernize, all colored by internal politics and external pressures, including the concession of port cities and rights to foreigners after the Opium Wars. Finally, regional entities like Hong Kong, Taiwan, Tibet, and Mongolia pursued distinct paths amid the broader Chinese context, with Hong Kong emerging as a significant economic hub, Taiwan forging an independent government, Tibet establishing a Buddhist theocracy, and Mongolia negotiating its place between Soviet and Chinese influences.