China's failure to effectively deal with the West up to1842 is largely attributed to its traditional attitude of foreign inferiority. The Chinese had an innate and a deeply ingrained belief that they were the superior nation. For over two thousand years, China was consumed by their own self-importance in the world, fueled essentially by their early philosophy of being at the centre of the world, their self-imposed isolation and their economic and social success during the Tang Dynasty (687-907 A.D). In contrast, the rest of the world was not in the same league which only re-enforced China's traditional attitude. This traditional attitude towards foreign states, in addition to their differing trade, diplomatic and jurisdictional systems resulted in their failure to deal effectively deal with each other.

China's early thinking foreshadowed how she would view the rest of the world. According to the Chinese, the emperor was the...