Kelly Noble, Gold Mine Processing Manager, recommends The Last Embassy: The Dutch Mission of 1795 and the Forgotten History of Western Encounters with China by Tonio Andrade.
The Last Embassy by Tonio Andrade is a unique cultural history of late 18th century China. Andrade's book is history written as a great story, and the journey that unfolds illustrates the complex and often complicated relationships between countries and cultures
Andrade has dug deep into 18th-century historical documents to piece together a rich history that many have ignored or written off as non-essential. What emerges at the end is a lesson on the importance of cultural understanding.
The story highlights 60 years of rule by the Qing (1644-1911). The emperor and his advisors wanted to celebrate with fireworks and festivities. As part of the festivities, the emperor would receive embassies from foreign governments doing business in China.
Two years earlier, in 1795, Lord George Macartney made an embassy on behalf of King George III. He arrived in China and was welcomed by the emperor, but the event soon went downhill when Macartney refused to follow long-established Chinese customs, such as the kowtow. Macartney came with the notion that two great world powers should work together on equal footing. The Empirical Court found his refusal to follow protocol disdainful and his extravagant requests downright aggressive.
The Dutch approached their mission in a completely different way. Their mission was only to congratulate the emperor for 60 years of rule and nothing more. The Dutch ambassador, Issac Titsingh, made no requests or complaints. It seems the Dutch understood the point of embassies was to build strong relationships. Trade and other political topics could be handled at different times and resolved by low-level diplomacy. The Dutch approach to foreign relations highlights a need for better cultural understanding between the east and west.
The Chinese worldview is more about familial ties. This view is how the Qing Emperor sees the world. China is the center of the world, and all kingdoms are to be "taken care of" like family members. The Chinese see the relationship as one of respect (as in respect for your parents) and stability. It is apparent in the Chinese worldview (as with other views) that they place themselves at the top of the world order and that other countries should not be surprised by this position. The failure of the British was not in recognizing this Eastern perspective.
