History: In 1840, embroiled in the Opium War, the Daoguang Emperor was temporarily incapacitated after a bad fall, leaving the Prince Gong as his temporary regent. The Regent made a determination that, although unpopular, would eventually change China's fortunes for the better - he negotiated a treaty with the United Kingdom, offering amnesty for the opium merchants and return of their cargo along with the treaty port of Hong Kong in exchange for immediate cessation of the war. His calculation was simple - the humiliation could, with some effort, be used to demonize and humiliate Britain, and thrust China into the modern age whether it wished to or not. For nearly two years afterward, Prince Gong ruled China in his comatose father's stead, and a momentous two years it was, for the perfect opportunity quickly presented itself. Britain was suddenly occupied by an American invasion of Canada, and Prince Gong struck.

Declaring Opium once again illegal, Prince Gong confiscated large amounts of the drug, returned it to the merchants selling it, and promptly ousted foreigners caught selling opium from the country - permanently. Praise was given to the Americans, from popular biographies of George Washington to special permission for American missionaries, all to ingratiate the people to the idea of asking for American aid. They too struggled against the English barbarians, and Prince Gong was happy to purchase large quantities of surplus British-Canadian arms from the Americans as they conquered the country. Tariffs and restrictions placed further on English merchants exacerbated the unprofitability of Hong Kong, and soon enough it was sold off to the Dutch, who Prince Gong welcomed with open arms, taking advantage of both Dutch and American merchants to bring modern goods into China and begin a process of rapid industrialization as he modernized the country, filling the court with competent ministers, and, of course, neatly assigning much of the credit to his (unbeknownst to most of the population) father. By the time the Daoguang Emperor awoke, he woke to a China that was rapidly advancing, fortifying its coasts, and slowly coming to par with the Europeans that humiliated it, all thanks to a handful of allies. He, of course, was now happy to continue the process, leaving Prince Gong with much of the unofficial policymaking power, all the while a Christian man by the name of Hong Huoxiu found new purpose as a missionary with one of many American parties.

In 1844, with news of revolution in Japan reaching the Imperial Court, the country was thrown into a panic - but once again, Prince Gong saw an opportunity. With a few whispers into his father's ear, he was able to convince his father to further intensify modernization, displacing merchant houses with new arrivals to further diversify and expand the Qing economy. The influx of Dutch and American trade - and missionaries - brought an even greater wealth of technical expertise to Qing, allowing industrialization to proceed in earnest. Growing increasingly bold, and confident in the new technologies gained from America and the Dutch, the Emperor emphasized that the Great Qing would tolerate no threat to Joseon Korea, including Japanese Imperialism. Following Korea's example, also, a delegation was dispatched to Oregon to join their compatriots, and establish a formal embassy.

Once again, an American victory, this time over Mexico, allowed Qing to purchase greater quantities of somewhat old European arms. Today, the Great Qing stands at the head of a rapidly modernizing Empire, and is eager to prove that it can remain relevant even in a world increasingly dominated by hostile interests.

Territory: The territory of the Qing Empire at the time OTL, barring all treaty ports except for Hong Kong.

Economic Description: Although still primarily an agricultural economy, the Daoguang Emperor, encouraged by Prince Yixi has made great strides in industrializing China's economy, the first measure of which has been to reintroduce paper currency. China also produces large amounts of mineral resources such as salt, iron, and, especially as of late with the Daoguang Emperor's industrialization policies, coal.

Historical Claims: Though presently content with controlling the territory it possesses, the Daoguang Emperor has made clear his stance that any Japanese territorial ambitions on China, Korea, or Taiwan will not be tolerated, and that an attack on Korea will be considered an attack on China itself.