Question

‘Cutting of the Chinese melon’ means?
A. The business and excise of China was controlled by Britain.
B. France controlled Chinese postal service under its authority.
C. Europe dominated Chinese railways.
D. All of the above.

Answer 1

Hint: In those times western world was more powerful and was always trying to exert his pressure on some eastern and south eastern countries through various diplomatic and tactical moves. Powerful countries like France, Russia, Japan, Britain, Germany etc. were in power and dominance back then and tried to control other countries. It was widely used between the 1890’s and the 1920’s

Complete Answer:
Under the power sectors of imperial nations, China was divided. America had the understanding that it would be divided, like the African continent. Nothing but a thinly veiled effort to seize the Chinese empire, which is referred to as ‘Cutting of Chinese Melon’ was the strategy of creating a ‘sphere of power’. China was forced to pay Japan nearly $150 million for war damages but did not have enough cash. So, the western powerful countries decided to offer China loans. But these countries in exchange, divided China solely for its reason.

Every western country had some areas of China specifically reserved for its reason only.
- Britain invaded China in the First Opium War in 1839 to crush resistance to its involvement in the economic, social and political affairs of the country.
- China’s post offices were maintained by foreign power, France in China.
- Europe began to overtake China in the middle of the 17th century.
This is the correct option as we can see that each western country dominated China once.

Hence, option D. All of the above is the correct option.

Note: China was made to pay British fines for war loss. Later Britain was granted Hong Kong. China’s colonial rule began with the Wars of Opium. Although no imperialist nation had invaded or occupied China, the influence of these changes in China was the same as any other areas that were officially colonised.