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Starting in the 1880's, the Imperial Chinese Navy began a series of overseas orders for the construction of modern cruisers. This was as part of an overall strengthening of the Navy, in response to the purchase of the ex-Confederate States Navy ironclad CSS Stonewall by the Imperial Japanese Navy, later renamed JAPANESE IRONCLAD Kōtetsu. Viceroy of Zhili province, Li Hongzhang, initially ordered a series of flat-iron gunboats, but under his orders the first two cruisers for the Imperial Chinese Navy were laid down by Charles Mitchell & Company in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, from a design by Sir George Wightwick Rendel which had already been used on the Chilean Navy vessel CHILEAN CRUISER Arturo Prat (later the Imperial Japanese Navy's JAPANESE CRUISER Tsukushi). The first protected cruiser for the Imperial Chinese Navy was completed in 1884, although CHINESE CRUISER Jiyuan) had originally been intended as the third ironclad battleship of the Dingyuan-class ironclad. At the same time, the Chinese began launching a series of composite ships at the Foochow Arsenal, including the cruiser CHINESE CRUISER Kai Che). However, cruisers with steel hulls could be purchased from European shipyards at a lower cost than the composite vessels could be built in China.

Protected and armoured cruisers continued to be purchased, in particular from German shipyards since the British were reluctant to construct modern vessels for the Chinese Navy in fear of offending the Russian Empire. The Foochow Arsenal completed the cruiser CHINESE CRUISER Pingyuan) in 1889, marking the first time a steel-hulled cruiser had been built in China. The modern steel-hulled cruisers first saw action in the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–95); however in response to the Chinese fleet build-up, they too had invested in similar vessels, albeit with quick firing guns. At the time of the advent of the war, the Chinese fleet's weaponry was out of date, an issue recognised by Hongzhang. Funds intended for the Navy had been diverted by the Empress Dowager Cixi, and due to the rapid advancements in Navy design during the late 19th century, the Chinese fleet was already considered out of date. The two fleets met for the first time at the Battle of the Yalu River on 17 September 1894; the Japanese were victorious while the Chinese lost four cruisers and a sloop. Early in the following year, the remaining modern vessels were trapped in the harbour during the Battle of Weihaiwei. When the port was surrendered, the surviving ships were handed over to the Japanese. Three of the cruisers continued in service to the Japanese Navy for the following decade.

Protected cruisers
Starting in the 1880's, the Imperial Chinese Navy began a series of overseas orders for the construction of modern cruisers. This was as part of an overall strengthening of the Navy, in response to the purchase of the ex-Confederate States Navy ironclad CSS Stonewall by the Imperial Japanese Navy, later renamed JAPANESE IRONCLAD Kōtetsu. Viceroy of Zhili province, Li Hongzhang, initially ordered a series of flat-iron gunboats, but under his orders the first two cruisers for the Imperial Chinese Navy were laid down by Charles Mitchell & Company in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, from a design by Sir George Wightwick Rendel which had already been used on the Chilean Navy vessel CHILEAN CRUISER Arturo Prat (later the Imperial Japanese Navy's JAPANESE CRUISER Tsukushi). The first protected cruiser for the Imperial Chinese Navy was completed in 1884, although CHINESE CRUISER Jiyuan) had originally been intended as the third ironclad battleship of the Dingyuan-class ironclad.

Unprotected cruisers
At the same time as the first protected cruiser was launched in 1884, the Chinese began launching a series of composite ships at the Foochow Arsenal, including the cruiser CHINESE CRUISER Kai Che). However, cruisers with steel hulls could be purchased from European shipyards at a lower cost than the composite vessels could be built in China.