This paper examines the discussion on the meaning of the Chinese character yi among Western merchants in pre-Opium War Canton, China. In the pre-Opium War period, Western merchants in Canton understood the complexity of the meaning of yi, and they had different interpretations of the meaning of yi. However, with the development of the Sino-Western trade in Canton, Western merchants became increasingly unsatisfied with the Canton trade system established by the Qing Empire. They wanted to change the situation that they had to accept all of the rules set by the Qing government before they could do business in China.
Under these circumstances, yi was attacked as a symbol of that situation. The literal meaning of yi became irrelevant even for many Western merchants.