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DIPLOMACY

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beyond the intention of both States, and matter of the greatest regret on my part. The amity between the Middle Empire and Japan is of long standing, and the fact of the Imperial Chinese soldiers forgetting this, and fighting under momentary impulse, without careful consideration of the circumstances, will be made a subject of special reprimand from the present Minister. As to the fact brought forward by Your Excellency on the evidence of the wife of Shujiro Homma and others—that the Chinese soldiers were guilty of breaking into the houses of the people and plundering and massacring them—the Imperial Chinese Government are for the present in possession of no satisfactory proofs, but will send out a special mission for investigation, and should definite evidences be obtained, will not fail to punish the culpable according to the military law of the realm, etc.’

Thus, after six sittings, the negotiations were brought to a close, and the so-called Treaty of Tientsin was signed on the 18th of April, 1885. By it China could not be brought to recognise the independence of Corea, but so much was gained for Japan that, with regard to Corea, China recognised Japan to be on the same footing as herself. Thus a step was gained towards the solution of the Corean problem. Subsequently China found the treaty inconvenient to herself, and made some futile attempts to annul it, but it remained in force till the war of 1894–95, of which it was really the cause.

War between China and Japan, 1894–1895.

The Treaty of Tientsin did not alter the relations between China and Corea. Go-dai-cho and the Chinese soldiers were recalled, but En-sei-gai was again sent as Chinese Resident, and interfered in all the important affairs of State. The German, Mollendorff, and after him an American named Denny, continued to act as adviser under instructions from Li-Hung-Chang. When Russia tried to open inland trade with Corea along the river Tiumen, it was Li-Hung-Chang who persuaded Corea not to consent. Corea appointed Boku-tei-yo Minister to Washington, but En-sei-gai objected to the measure on the ground that for all such matters authorization had to be obtained from China as suzerain. Li-Hung-Chang instructed En-sei-gai to propose the following conditions: (1) On arriving at his post the Corean Minister should first of all pay a visit to the Chinese Minister, and ask the latter to accompany him to the State Department. (2) On all public occasions, State ceremonies, and private dinner-parties, the Corean Minister should always sit below the Chinese Minister. (3) Whenever an international affair of any significance occurred, the Corean Minister should ask the advice of the Chinese Minister, and act in concert with the latter. Corea objected, but En-sei-gai threatened her with immediate action, and she yielded to superior force.