Following the Opium Wars against Britain and France and then the Taiping Rebellion, the Qing Dynasty undertook the Self Strengthening Movement (自强运动)to modernize China's military and economy in the model of the west, while preserving the essential nature of the Chinese imperial system. This lasted from 1865 to 1895.
In 1862, Prince Gong proposed importing western learning, industrial products and weapons to China while taking no political reforms. He made reformers like Li Hongzhang leaders. He brought in German and British advisors. During the Self Strengthening Movement years, it looked as if the dynasty would not only survive, but thrive as a major power in the industial era.
This belief was not limited to the emperor or the Qing government. Many Western governments believed that China was reviving itself. Despite going to war with China British Empire allied with the Qing Dynasty against Russia and Japan. In 1894 on the eve of the first Sino-Japanese War, British advisor William Lang suggested that the Beiyang Fleet was the greatest naval force in Asia, and that "Japan must be crushed". Why was there any doubt? The Beiyang Fleet was made from the best German and British steel battleships with latest electrical, armor and large 12 inch guns.
However, all this will be futile. In 1895, Imperial Japan crushed the Beiyang Fleet. Corruption, opium and arrogance destroyed the fleet long before it steamed out to meet the Japanese.