I agree. Tho I will say that one of the last great Qing Emperors to hold on to the reigns of power was His Imperial Majesty the Qianlong Emperor. He was not only pro-modernity (as in the use of modern warfare), but he had tried to develop ties with Western Powers. Alas he died and his successors did not carry on his reform agendas. Had China done that, there is without a doubt the Qing Dynasty may have survived to the current epoch, who knows, WWII may not even have happened in Asia.
Qianlong is not a good emperor, his father left him with a reformed country, vast amount of money, and a strong army.
Qianlong was extravagant, conservative, and not that good at politics. He let HeShen completely destroy the political system where he systematically eliminated opposition and gained political favors and wealth.
Qianlong supported ill conceived wars and buildings of expensive palaces.
He didn't trade with the West and he didn't adopt any new technology.
When he died, he left his son the exact opposite of what his father left him, a depleted treasury, a corrupt and defeated army, a country so corrupt that HeShen was a country all by himself.
That may be true. However, after the retreat of France from Indochina, all the territorial land claims are subject to interpretation.
And this is the reason why there is so much animosity-related confusion as to the legal rights and claims of these islands.
Prior to WWII, France administered the Paracel Islands, and in 1939, Japan conquered the islands from France. But after Japan's surrender in 1945, the islands were left alone after Japanese soldiers abandoned the islands. That is where the confusion is coming from.
The Chinese claim that after Japan's surrender, those islands were now under Chinese control, and since the French didn't really try to rehabilitate the islands or formally opposed the Chinese claim, that confusion persists to the present.
The only way to resolve this is for China and Vietnam to have a co-existent agreement.
What you say is true, confusion is what let to these disputes, but I disagree about how it will be resolved.
I have complete confidence of china's rise, I'm and I'm sure others are willing to wait it out, as we are sure of absolute victory in the end.
Vietnam can do the same, if they feel they can be Japan before we become the US.