It was arguably inevitable that the Chinese Empire would become the most powerful nation the world has ever seen; with its abundant resources and massive population, once the industrial revolution hit there was no stopping the Qing. As ASB as it might seem, though, what if history had gone in the opposite direction? Essentially, what is the absolute worst China could have done with a POD after the Taiping rebellion (when the modernization started). Bonus points if the dynasty falls, and if China becomes divided.