Recently I think of something very ahistorical: suppose Qing China quickly collapses after the Anglo-Chinese War while the great powers either stayed neutral or supported the rebels. Then a new China is formed. In Chinese history, the leaders of the new dynasty usually pay much attention to the mistakes made by the former dynasty so I assume they will carry out reforms like the Meiji Modernization.
If the modernization is successful, what do you guys think will happen? Will China become an aggressive power that is similar to Japan in the early 20th century? Will China even allied to the Axis just to "regain the prestige"?
If the modernization is successful, what do you guys think will happen? Will China become an aggressive power that is similar to Japan in the early 20th century? Will China even allied to the Axis just to "regain the prestige"?