In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries japan was modernizing and adopting western ways. china chose not to follow this path, but instead believed in building on its historic strengths. what was the result of this for china? china, although not industrialized, became a strong, imperial presence in east asia. foreign powers controlled spheres of influence within an internally weak china. japan was able to rid china of foreign spheres of influence and control most of the country. foreign powers had divided china up into colonies and