The spheres of influence is a collection of territory that is under a superpower or big nation such as America or Britain. In relation to China, it was under the sphere of influence of the British during the 1900s. During this time, the British were the ones who controlled the economic activities of China. They were the ones who were dictating which products could go out and go in from the country. This is actually one of the reasons why the Opium war erupted.