鸦片战争时期 ,中西方对于主权、国际关系、民商法律以及刑罚等问题的认识存在重大差异。中方的法律观念建立在皇权专制基础上 ,力图将西方社会纳入传统朝贡体系。西方国家虽然已经确立平等主权观念 ,但认为主权属地原则只适用于同等文明之间 ,作为弱势文明的中国应该服从于西方法律。两种均以优越自居的法律观念相遇 ,冲突在所难免。 During the Opium War, China and the West differed greatly in their understanding of issues of sovereignty, international relations, civil and commercial laws and penalties. The Chinese concept of law is based on the tyranny of autocracy and seeks to integrate Western society into the traditional tributary system. Although the western countries have established the concept of equal sovereignty, they hold that the principle of sovereignty applies only to the same civilizations and that China, as a weak civilization, should submit to Western law. Two are met by the legal concept of superior self-supremacy, the conflict is inevitable.