Despite their geographical proximity, Japan and China are very different countries, with unique historic, political and social features. While China is one of the largest communist countries in the world, Japan is a – rather open – parliamentary constitutional monarchy. How were Japan and China economically different from each other by the end of the 19th century? Japan was a successfully industrialized country with a sizable army and a strong economy, while China's economy remained weak and vulnerable to the interferences of imperial countries. Hope this helps!
