The Last Mission: the Dutch Mission to China in 1795 and the Forgotten History of the Encounter between China and the West

About This Novel

In 1793, the British Macartney mission returned from a visit to China without success, and public opinion in Europe was in an uproar. Many Europeans believed that the Qing court was arrogant and narrow-minded. However, the failure of the British mission did not stop all European countries from moving forward. In 1795, the Dutch East India Company sent a mission to China to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Emperor Qianlong's accession to the throne, thus starting one of the most interesting episodes in East-West relations in pre-modern history. Compared with the failure of the British Macartney Mission, the Dutch Mission was a great success and became the last European diplomatic mission to be officially received by the Chinese Emperor before the Opium War. The Dutch mission's visit caused widespread discussion in Europe. The author returns to the historical context at that time, explores the rich textures in cultural exchanges between East and West that are obscured by Western-centric narratives, and reflects on the traditional "cultural conflict theory." He pointed out that the "clash of cultures" narrative model still permeates the understanding of China and the West. Not all encounters between Europe and China are disastrous. Unlike the British mission, the Dutch mission has a deep understanding of Asia. They respect regional diplomatic norms and are committed to understanding China in their own way. The Dutch mission's visit to China in 1795 provided a new perspective on China and Sino-Western relations in the 18th century, helped us decisively break through the "cultural conflict" narrative, and opened a window for understanding China in the 18th century.

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