AHC: Qing Meiji

Your challenge, should you accept it: with a POD no earlier than 1850, have Qing China pull a Meiji. For the purposes of this thread, "pulling a Meiji" is defined as:

-developing a significant industrial base, covering multiple regions of the country (ie, not just Manchuria)

-having a military at least as strong as the Japanese one, with an army and navy up to European standards

-no major, permanent territorial losses, including Mongolia and Outer Manchuria.
 
Having the Hundred Days of Reform succeed would go a long way. That would give China a modern army and industrial base, as well as some political reforms.

It would still take a while for China to be at Western levels of development, but that's to be expected with such a big country.
 
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