Final answer:
The British sought to rectify their trade deficit by selling opium to China, leading to the Opium Wars and the opening of China's market, while the Chinese aimed to restrict foreign influence and trade. Both nations recognized the need for trade but had opposing views on terms and conditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The British and Chinese perspectives on trade during the colonial era were fundamentally different. The British, facing a massive trade deficit due to their high consumption of Chinese tea, desperately sought commodities that the Chinese would buy in large quantities. Opium became such a product, despite being illegal in China. The British East India Company cultivated opium in India and smuggled it into China, setting off a crisis that led to the Opium Wars. As a result of the wars, China was forced to open its markets to foreign trade, including opium, under unequal treaties like the Treaty of Nanjing. This marked the end of the traditional East Asian international system with China at its center.
Similar to the British, other Western powers and Japan wanted access to the large Chinese market. Treaties imposed by these powers after military confrontations during the Opium Wars and the Sino-Japanese War led to an 'open door' policy, where all had equal access to China. This resulted in spheres of influence within China, where foreign powers could control trade through tariffs and transportation, ensuring their participation in the Chinese market. Despite the unequal nature of these arrangements, the similarity between British and other foreign powers' perspectives was the mutual desire for market access and economic benefit.
Ultimately, the British perspective on trade with China was driven by economic necessity and a willingness to use military force to open markets, while the Chinese perspective was to restrict and control foreign trade to preserve sovereignty and public health. The convergence lay in the acknowledgment of the mutual need for trade, albeit on very different terms.