For centuries relations between Europe and China were concurrent with the interaction between Italy and the Chinese Empire. This situation ended in the 19th century when Great Britain forcibly opened China to international trade. At the end of the century, knowledge of the Italian Risorgimento, with such heroes as Garibaldi, Mazzini, and Cavour, inspired some Chinese intellectuals in their effort to launch a national renewal.
Liang Qichao (1873-1929) has been one of the most influential writers and politicians at the end of the Imperial Period. He took part to the One Hundred Days reform plan in 1898, when the Imperial prince Gong envisaged the possibility to begin a vast program of reform of the Imperial system. In this framework, Liang Qichao also created a printing house to translate and disseminate Western ideas in Chinese. One of the first books he published was a presentation of Italian modern history, in which Garibaldi, Mazzini and Cavour where indicated as the heroes of the Italian Risorgimento.
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