洋務運動
In 1866 Giquel became involved in the organization and planning for the Fuzhou (Foochow) dockyard project envisioned by Zuo Zongtang. From 1867 to 1874 he served as European director of the project which Shen Baozhen, as the imperial commissioner, headed. The objective of the dockyard was to create a modern Chinese fleet of warships and transports, and to educated technicians in Western sciences. These efforts contributed to China's Self-Strengthening Movement of acquiring Western knowledge. Similarly, the Nanjing Arsenal was put under the responsibility of the Englishman Halliday Macartney.