Europeans, particularly the British, of the arrogance of the Chinese, who believed themselves to be both militarily and culturally superior to the West. Thus, the failure of the Macartney mission was attributed to a lack of receptiveness on the behalf of the Chinese, and China has been accused of arrogance ever since.

Was the Macartney mission a success?

The Macartney mission was generally regarded as futile; all of its requests were rejected by Emperor Qianlong. The failure of this diplomatic encounter between China and Great Britain could be attributed to both sides.

What were the effects of the Macartney mission?

The goals of the mission included the opening of new ports for British trade in China, the establishment of a permanent embassy in Beijing, the cession of a small island for British use along China’s coast, and the relaxation of trade restrictions on British merchants in Guangzhou (Canton).