Eastern Asia in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars

All, I have a question.

I've read a few books on the Napoleonic Wars but they are typically very light on any effects on Southern or Eastern Asia, especially the European possessions/Colonies at the time.

I know by this point that India was largely a British possession with the French/Portuguese/Danish/Dutch enclaves merely figureheads and that China was still fifty years away from being carved up into "spheres of influence" but i'm surprised that there was not more action in this theater.

As best I can tell, the 1811-1812 British occupation of Dutch Indonesia (the Republic, later Kingdom of the Netherlands was mostly a French client state as was its colonies) was the most movement in east asia during this time and that was only at the tail end of the 25 year series of wars.

Anyone know why Britain didn't attack the Philippines prior to 1807ish (when the Peninsular War began and Britain and Spain became allies)?

Anyone know why Britain didn't attack Indonesia until 1811 as they had complete naval superiority for years?

It sets up an interesting series of butterflies.

What if Britain conquered both (at least the key trading sites) early on and kept them?

Could any other European nation set up a "sphere of influence" in China in later years with the route to Asia so thoroughly dominated (South Africa, Egypt, Aden, India, Australia, Indonesia and Philippines) by Britain?

No French Indochina?

Or would this be a setup for a British, Japanese and Russian three way tussle for influence in China and domination of the west pacific?

Any ideas?
 
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Neither France or Britain had significant influence in the region by that time. The French maybe had influence in Cochinchina, the British maybe Malaya. Not enough for anything in the greater China region. Japan hasn't even been opened yet.
 
As best I can tell, the 1811-1812 British occupation of Dutch Indonesia (the Republic, later Kingdom of the Netherlands was mostly a French client state as was its colonies) was the most movement in east asia during this time and that was only at the tail end of the 25 year series of wars.

There was also an attack on Dejima...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Phaeton_(1782)#Nagasaki_Harbour_Incident

Anyone know why Britain didn't attack the Philippines prior to 1807ish (when the Peninsular War began and Britain and Spain became allies)?

Don't forget, Britain did not have a lot of spare men to toss around, and when it did so, it focused on territories closer to home. There were some attempts to use Indian troops outside of Southern Asia, but these left to mutinies.
 
Neither France or Britain had significant influence in the region by that time. The French maybe had influence in Cochinchina, the British maybe Malaya. Not enough for anything in the greater China region. Japan hasn't even been opened yet.

I don't think French influence extended that far, safe considering an handful of missionaries as influence.

In Indian ocean the main points were what remained of French India and la Réunion, but these were hardly strong points, and eventually taken without too much trouble.
 
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