Answer:
The correct answer is "The Meiji government was open to Western-style reforms, while the Qing dynasty was hesitant to embrace Western-style reforms".
Explanation:
The missing options of this question are:
A) Qing and Meiji officials were both open to diplomacy with the United States but not with Britain.
B) Western influence led to the downfall of both the Qing dynasty in China and the Meiji emperor in Japan.
C) Most Qing officials were eager to embrace modernization, while Meiji leaders openly resisted calls for modernization.
D) The Meiji government was open to Western-style reforms, while the Qing dynasty was hesitant to embrace Western-style reforms.
E) Western-style reforms weakened the Qing army in China, while similar reforms strengthened the Japanese army.
The correct answer is option D) The Meiji government was open to Western-style reforms, while the Qing dynasty was hesitant to embrace Western-style reforms.
During the Meiji Restoration, the Meiji Japan adopted a posture of being open to Western-style reforms. Under the slogan of “Enrich the country, strengthen the army”, the Meiji emperor established a nation capable of standing equal among Western powers. On the other hand, Qing China hesitated to change its policies and became decadent during the same period of time. Late Qing reforms or Cixi's New Policies, came until 1901 but it represented the last effort of the Qing China to survive.
