While the Qing dynasty of China tried to maintain the traditional tributary system of China, by the 19th century Qing China had become part of a European-style community of sovereign states[1] and had established official diplomatic relations with more than twenty countries around the world before its downfall, and since the 1870s it established legations and consulates known as the "Chinese Legation", "Imperial Consulate of China", "Imperial Chinese Consulate (General)" or similar names in seventeen countries, namely the Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Brazil, Cuba, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Russia, Spain, United Kingdom (or the British Empire) and the United States.
British envoy Thomas Francis Wade urged that Qing China send a diplomat to England to issue an official apology.
We feel it would be foolish to refuse his demand since it might cause additional agitation in order to preserve our relationship and good faith and after considerable deliberation".
The officials Guo Songtao and Xu Qian were appointed as the Qing emperor's ambassador and vice-envoy to the United Kingdom in a subsequent imperial decree.
By 1880 the Qing government had already built embassies in eight of the main capitalist nations or great powers in the world and dispatched 19 envoys or consuls, some of whom held several roles.