Message from skroop

[Anonymous]

Reading: Chinese Laborers in Europe
I can’t say that I was completely surprised to read about how many Chinese civilians were involved in World War I helping on the side of the Allies. However, when I picture the troops in WWI I think about the involvement of the colonies of the Allies such as India and various countries in Africa. It seems as though from the reading that the Europeans had no interest in using the Chinese as soldiers but as laborers, that was something that I did not really think of before. China had a very different history of imperialism in comparison to some of the British and French colonies in Africa and other parts of Asia. It was very interesting to read the Chinese perspective in attempting to take back German held territories, and the British fear that India then be encouraged and interested in pursuing independence after the war depending on what happened with the Chinese. It was also interesting to see the motivation of the Chinese to get a seat at the negotiating table when the war ended.

Questions:
I wonder what other factors made the British and French so fearful that they would lose their hold over China if they were involved in the war as soldiers.
I also am curious as to how the Chinese that stayed in France became so interested in communism and if that was a direct influence in spreading communism in China.