How did China respond to the open door policy y?
China initially resisted Western trade and influence during the Qing dynasty (1644–1911). However, in the 19th century, Western powers, particularly Britain and France, began to exert increasing pressure on China to open its markets to foreign trade. In response to these pressures, China adopted a series of self-strengthening reforms in the mid-19th century aimed at modernizing its military and economy. These reforms included the establishment of the first Western-style factories and arsenals and the sending of students abroad to study in Europe and the United States. Despite these efforts, China was defeated in a series of wars with Western powers, including the Opium Wars (1839–1842 and 1856–1860) and the Sino-French War (1884–1885). These defeats led to the signing of a series of unequal treaties that granted Western powers extraterritorial rights and control over key parts of the Chinese economy. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, China experienced a period of political instability and social unrest, including the Boxer Rebellion (1899–1901) and the overthrow of the Qing dynasty in 1911. The establishment of the Republic of China in 1912 did not immediately lead to greater political stability or economic development. The country remained divided by warlordism and was further weakened by Japanese aggression in the 1930s and 1940s. The victory of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the Chinese Civil War (1946–1949) led to the establishment of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949. The PRC adopted a policy of economic isolation and self-reliance, known as the "closed door" policy. This policy was designed to protect China from foreign influence and promote its own economic development. In the late 1970s, China began to open its economy to foreign trade and investment. This policy, known as the "open door" policy, was implemented by Deng Xiaoping, the paramount leader of China from 1978 to 1989. The open door policy led to rapid economic growth in China, but it also created a number of challenges, including rising income inequality, corruption, and environmental degradation. Despite these challenges, China has continued to pursue the open door policy, and it is now the world's second-largest economy.