The Opium Wars ushered in an era of intensive Western imperialism in China, at a time when the Ch'ing dynasty was already in decline, forcing a small number of Chinese officials to come to the realisation that China must protect itself by adopting the same military technology that had brought it national humiliation. Shen Pao-chen was one such official. Abandoning the comfort of his successful career, Shen devoted his life to building China's first modern naval dockyard and academy. His successes and failures shed new light on the story of China's efforts at modernization - a story that has not come to a conclusion. As China engages in new rounds of economic and industrial modernization in the post-Mao era, many of these issues acquire new meanings and significance.

‘… an important case study in the debate on the reasons for the long-term failure of the modernization drive in the late nineteenth century.’

Michael Dillon Source: Royal Society for Asian Affairs

‘… as apt a portrayal of the dilemma of the late Qing modernizer as any.’

Michael Dillon Source: Royal Society for Asian Affairs

‘The case that is built here for Shen as a major figure of his time is unassailable.’

Michael Gasster Source: The China Review International