Treaty of Shimonoseki
Shunpanrō hotel, Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan
What happened
Itō Hirobumi and Mutsu Munemitsu signed for Japan, and Li Hongzhang and his son Li Jingfang signed for Qing China. The First Sino-Japanese War had ended in a Japanese victory. At a hotel in Shimonoseki, the two sides agreed peace terms. China recognised Korea's independence, gave Taiwan, the Penghu Islands and the Liaodong Peninsula to Japan, and agreed to pay a very large sum of silver.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It weakened the Qing dynasty, and many Chinese saw it as a national humiliation. Taiwan became a Japanese colony until 1945.
What came next
Within a week, Russia, Germany and France pressed Japan to give back Liaodong, which it did in November 1895. Japan's resentment helped lead to the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905.
Did you know?
During the talks, Li Hongzhang was shot and wounded by a Japanese extremist, and the public outcry led Japan to soften its demands.
Timeline
- 24 March 1895Li Hongzhang is wounded in an attack.
- 17 April 1895The treaty is signed.
- 8 May 1895The treaty takes effect.
- November 1895Japan returns the Liaodong Peninsula.