Japan adapted to Western imperialism by playing the same game. During the Meiji Restoration, Japan instated many of its initially Western-friendly practices, and grew on par with its European and North American counterparts in terms of political, industrial, and military prowess. China, on the other hand, resisted Western imperialism and corresponding processes of "modernization" vehemently. However, China's stubborn stance in the midst of international upheaval led to intense internal turmoil, civil war, and events like the Boxer Rebellion. Dual forces of isolationism and expansionism raged within Chinese borders, whereas Japan remained relatively united in the common cause to compete with Western European and North American superpowers. Neither tactic proved truly successful. By the middle of the twentieth century, China had become economically and politically stagnant and Japan's defeat in World War Two led to less Japanese political potency than the country had hoped for. Japan's aggressive actions like the attack on Pearl Harbor resulted in a humiliating American occupation until 1953 and significant loss of territorial gains made during the imperialistic march. However, Japan quickly regained its footing within the international community due to its modern political and economic systems and corresponding amenability to Western business and political models.

China fared differently. When the Chinese nationalist movement segued into communism on the mainland, China became politically stable but significantly isolated from the Western powers. The communist policies against political and economic expansiveness, coupled with the American aversion to dealing with communist governments, thwarted the industrial and economic development of China until the late 1970s. China has since established itself not only as a world military power but also as an emerging and viable financial marketplace.

Japan's successful adaptation to the challenges presented by Western imperialism in the early twentieth century therefore resulted in disaster that was mainly due to an overly ambitious political and military plan. The subsequent Japanese recovery from military failure owes itself mostly to Japan's competitive economy, democratic politics, and widespread industrialization. China's unsuccessful adaptation to the challenges presented by Western imperialism in the early twentieth century resulted in disaster that was mainly due to lack of domestic cohesion in such a large and diverse nation. Communist control kept China in a sort of protective political, economic, and military bubble but prevented the nation from becoming an industrial superpower. Nevertheless, the power of the global economy has wrested China from its isolationist policies and the nation therefore emerges as a great power in spite of its controversial military plans and politics.