Zhou Kai's Interview

The Interview Of Opium War

Hello, everybody. I am Zhou Kai. Today we are glad to invite Mr. Cui join us to make a interview of Opium War. (Z=Zhou kai. C= Mr. Cui)

Z: Can I ask you some questions?

C: Of crouse.

Z: Firstly, Could you tell me your profession?

C: I am an official of the government.

Z: This time we make a interview about Opium War. I wonder what do you know about the war?

C: The Opium War is a battle of resisting invade from abroad in the history, the reason of this war is complex. The foreigner filtered the commerce of China by importing opium. It brought Chinese serious disaster. That time the government, the Qing Dynasty, is corrupt and conservative,and the government had been divided into many different groups. The hero Lin Zexu went to Guang zhou to stop the opium as a minister. He seted the movement to destroy the opium at Humen seaside in 1831. This movement inspired Chinese morale. Many Chinese realized they should get together and protect our country. The opium war break out in 1840. As a result of the wrong leadership China was felt. But though the war the nation made a determination to beat back the aggression.

Z: We realized that though the war China changed a lot. Then, I want to know concretely, could you talk about that?

C: After the war, China affix to the first imparity treaty: "The Treaty Of Nan Jing" and by the treaty occupied HongKong which made the mainland divide. Although it did harm to the unification, it made the ethos develop widely and stimulate the nation to struggle, what's more, it awoke the proper pride and self-confidence of the civilians to resist aggression.

Z: Opium War was end in the failure of China, someone said it was result in shorting of advanced arms. What is your opinion? What do you think made the failure at last?

C: There are many reasons, shorting for advanced arms is one of them. But the most important reason is the corruption of the government. After the HuMen movement, Lin ZeXu had been removed from post, as a hero he can not get recognize from government. After that the government appointed YiJing as the imperial envoy. YiJing is corrupt and incapable and indulge in dissipation From BeiJing to GuangZhou, spent almost two months. From this things we can realize corruption and incapability fill in the government which is the real reason that made the war fail. For another hand, the ethos and the decision of resisting had not been awoken. This is the important one too. The nation unwake, the corruption of government, the wrong leadership made the failure at last.

Z: Then what do you think lead to the corruption? Getting behind a long time or the developing of Qing government?

C: The first king of Ming Dynasty is a son of the soil. It says: "Keep the country harder than get it." In the history of China, in revolt of famer, the leader can bear hardships and were considerate of civilians during the struggle, but when they get the country, the corruption develop. So Ming Dynasty died in corruption, and Qing Dynasty set up. At first, from the king KangXi to QianLong to YongZheng are enlightened and capable. But after that, the followers are attempt and accomplish nothing Ministers divide into many groups lead Qing government getting back. In the civilians, there is a phrase: "Stay at the government three years, you will get 1 million." It is said that bureaucratism is very serious. The minister HeShen get the money is ten times to the government. Bureaucratic corruption lead to governmental corruption, governmental corruption lead to the getting back of the nation. The British settlers realized that, they are in order to expand oversea commerce harass the Chinese in the mental and physical. Many people use the opium which destroy their bodies and spirits.

Z: We had talked about a lot of China. But what do you think about the aggressive of the British?

C: The British is a colonial country, and it is one of the capitalist country that developed earlier in the world. Its business is developed, and the nature of colonist is aggressive. It occupied the field of civilan in its mainland, so it send its hands to abroad. China is a country with a vast territory and Qing government close the country to international intercourse, so they destroyed the life of the Chinese by treaty, and what's more, they occupied HongKong by imparity treaty that made the country divided.

Z: During the war, what psychosis did the civilians faced to the enemy?

C: Toward opium, part of them were sober, the others were intimidated by the government, they were angry but can not say a word. But most Chinese awoke their ethos in the battle.

Z: Face to the aggressive, the Qing government always compromise and concede. What do you think of it?

C: It’s representation of betray his country, ????betray one's country?representation,incompetent government always betray the dominion of the nation in order to get chance. This is the represent of humiliating the nation and forfeit its sovereignty. In fact the government treat the country as private possession, in order to enjoy themselves they were at all costs , they betray the country and people. So the Qing government is incompetent, it brought Chinese disaster.

Z: We know opium is poison from physiology, so the ordinary person use it will out of certain, therefore ,it is so harmful.
After The Opium War, we affix to the first imparity treaty«The Treaty Of NanJing»,the treaty occupied HongKong, now the economy of HongKong is developing fastly, do you think there is certain relate to the British?

C: First, HongKong as one of the Four Dragon of Asia, its development is not due to ruling by the British. HongKong is a port, and it is a free port, so it development is result in all countries in the world, it relate to its position and personal quality.

Z: HongKong came to motherland on 1st July in 1997, then will you talk about it development in the future?

C: HongKong as the extra canton, under the precondition of only one china, carry out ruling itself. In the same tine ,the mainland as the backing of HongKong , 7 years had gone, its economy developed calmly. So we should believe that HongKong will get better in the future.

Z: The history can’t be supposed, but we still want you to suppose that if we were success, what’s the condition will be today? It is says that failing in the Opium War is a good result , or not?

C: From the development of the history, failing in the war is not means that the country will be back forever. From the Opium War , we failed but awoke proper pride and self-confidence, so if this war we success, if the civilian and the government were not awoke, we won’t get good result.

Z: China had entered WTO, it says ”we can’t forget the past ,and we should study from the past ”, in the morden times how to treat the foreign capital and goods?

C: Open to the world should expand, we should absorb the advanced technology and idea, fight off rubbish culture. We should have idea about value, life , and mind. So, we won’t restrict, the most important is to heighten the quality of countrymen. Heighten The quality of the people, open to the world will develop its effect, the economy will develop faster.

Z: It close to the end of the interview, could you sum up, tell us what's your opinions about war?

C: From the war itself, war should be avoided, but war drive the history. From the history, most dynastic changes were carried out by wars. Dynastic changes make the history develop. At present, the world in peace, so all countries should keep peace and avoid war, in the peace we will get largest development. Thanks for your cooperation.

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