Self-Strengthening Movement

Definition

A late 19th-century campaign in China where officials sought to modernize the country's social institutions, military capabilities, and economic performance by learning from Western advancements.

Related terms

Westernization: The adoption of western ideas, technology, culture and lifestyle. This is what many Chinese leaders aimed for during the Self-Strengthening Movement.

Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895): A conflict between China and Japan over control of Korea. The war revealed the weaknesses in China's military, despite the Self-Strengthening Movement.

Treaty of Shimonoseki: The treaty that ended the Sino-Japanese War, which resulted in significant territorial and economic losses for China.