Self-improvement by learning from foreigners is a slogan put forward during the Westernization Movement, aiming at strengthening the country.
Extended data:
Although the Westernization Movement and Meiji Restoration both transplanted western scientific and technological civilization to China in order to achieve "military strength" and "economic prosperity", they were fundamentally different in nature and historical stage. In Japan, "reform" is the basic national policy of the emperor's regime.
In the Qing Dynasty, the Westernization School was only a faction within the regime, and there were strong opposition forces within the imperial court. In the Prime Minister's yamen, although the chief executive is the Prince Gong of the royal family, in fact, Li Hongzhang and other senior officials from the Han nationality have great influence, which is of great significance in the political history of the late Qing Dynasty, but it does not mean that the reform of the state structure itself in the Qing Dynasty is only a change of power among ruling bureaucrats.
Meiji Restoration is a systematic reform, involving political system, socio-economic structure, academics, technology, culture and education. In the final analysis, the Westernization Movement only adopted western science and technology in some aspects of military and economy, and did not touch the political system and economic structure itself.
Meiji Restoration was directly related to the people, which led to fierce class struggle between the ruling class and the people. "Restoration" was carried out in the interaction and mutual infiltration of the two classes. In contrast, the Westernization Movement had little direct relationship with the people and was always confined to the internal struggle of the rulers.