The Opium War awakened a small number of people in China to the reality of the Western nations' superiority in industry and business. After the Second Opium War, British merchants could sail to designated treaty-ports and along the Yangtze River. Far many more people began to realize how much the British merchants had gained in privileges and how much China had lost in their economic rights. Famous people like Li Hongzhang, Zheng Guanying, Wang Tao and Sheng Xuanhuai began to plead for the defense of China's sovereignty. Sheng was the most important pioneer; early in 1876, he already proposed to "take back our sovereignty" in handling the purchase of the foreign-built Wusong (Railroad). Sheng set up China's first shipping company and almost beat his British and American competitors; he also set up China's first telegraph company and thereafter forced both Danish and British businessmen into cooperation on his own terms. Though unable to gain a monopoly, Sheng was at least able to contain the expansion of his business competitors despite the latter's enjoyment of initial privileges. Sheng urged the government to decline any dealings with Western diplomats on business adventures and to allow him to negotiate as a private merchant with foreign banks and enterprises. Moreover, when negotiating foreign contracts, he was able to limit their influence to technology and equipment only. Whenever negotiating a foreign debt, he would limit the use of the borrowed sum to anything but the purchase of land; and whenever negotianting a joint contract, he would limit the concession to one kind of enterprise and thereby preempt foreigners' encroachment on other rights. Sheng also sought to reach agreements with Western companies in order to avoid cut-throat competition. We should therfore treat Sheng as a hero in defending China's national interests rather than a corrupted official interested only in personal gains.