There are ways to make it better with a XIXth century PoD.
Basically, we see that the pattern if for colonies to happen when there is no authority in place to discuss trade with.
A couple exceptions to that rule: India which is colonisation before it was cool and happened without stately input, Algeria which was colonised to plunder their coffers and prop up Charles X and Indochine, because the French wanted to get to China.
China had a state, with a relatively stable organisation (compared to African kingdoms anyway) which could enforce treaties, especially in trade. However they kept being quite stubborn and not realising the world had changed and they were no longer top dog.
Problem is, the Chinese market was just too big to be left alone, so Europeans had to force their way in.
If China had acted like Japan with a voluntary to semi-voluntary opening, it would have been way less of a screw. Open ports and trade after the first Opium war, maybe access to the Chinese markets for European in exchange for a stop/limit to the Opium trade for example would do wonders I believe.