I really like Qing getting mainly trade/gold bonuses, contrary to certain orientalist stereotypes of China (especially Qing) being hurr much despotic confucianism, anti capitalist anti mercantile spirit etc
Fun fact, according to the famous research of Kenneth Pommeranz, up till the certain points of the 18th century certain regions of China had comparable indices of proto-capitalist proto-industrial economy and econ output per capita as Britain, Netherlands etc. China came quite close to the industrial revolution, being unable to enter it due to the certain systemic factors way more subtle and complicated than "hurr Chinese confucian mentality hated markets and trade"
(btw hilariously enough once China achieved recent developmental success, old orientalist notion of confucianism being always bad for economic growth and trade - suddenly turned into new orientalist notion of confucianism having always been fantastic for economy and trade
)
Fun fact, according to the famous research of Kenneth Pommeranz, up till the certain points of the 18th century certain regions of China had comparable indices of proto-capitalist proto-industrial economy and econ output per capita as Britain, Netherlands etc. China came quite close to the industrial revolution, being unable to enter it due to the certain systemic factors way more subtle and complicated than "hurr Chinese confucian mentality hated markets and trade"
(btw hilariously enough once China achieved recent developmental success, old orientalist notion of confucianism being always bad for economic growth and trade - suddenly turned into new orientalist notion of confucianism having always been fantastic for economy and trade
)
