Treaty of Shimonoseki

The peace treaty was concluded between Japan and China in Shimonoseki on April 17, 1895 (Meiji 28). After Japan's overwhelming victory in the First Sino-Japanese War, China tried to settle the situation by relying on the mediation of the Western powers. Japan refused to make peace through the mediation of the great powers, such as Germany and the United States, so China finally sent Minister of the North Seas and Governor-General of Zhili Li Hongzhang to Japan as a peace envoy plenipotentiary. The Japanese plenipotentiaries were Prime Minister Ito Hirobumi and Foreign Minister Mutsu Munemitsu, and peace negotiations were held at Shunpanro in Shimonoseki. The Qing insisted on giving priority to the armistice treaty, but the Japanese side did not agree and presented the peace conditions, which Li showed reluctance to accept. However, an incident occurred near his lodgings in which Li was shot and injured. Fearing criticism from the great powers, the Japanese side, as Li requested, concluded an armistice first. This was followed by the Sino-Japanese Peace Treaty, which consisted of 11 articles. The contents of the treaty were that the Qing Dynasty (1) would recognize Korea as an independent country, (2) would cede the Liaodong Peninsula, the Penghu Islands, and Taiwan to Japan, (3) would pay 200 million taels (approximately 300 million yen) in indemnity, (4) would open the cities of Suzhou, Hangzhou, Chongqing, and Shashi within the Qing Dynasty and would allow Japanese people to carry out commercial and industrial activities in these cities and ports, and (5) would conclude a new Sino-Japanese Treaty of Commerce and Navigation on the same terms as those of Western countries, and would recognize Japan's extraterritoriality and unilaterally agreed tariff rates. Immediately after the signing, the so-called Triple Intervention by Russia, Germany, and France occurred, and Japan returned the Liaodong Peninsula to China. The exchange of instruments of ratification of the peace treaty took place on May 8th at Chifu, refusing a request from the Chinese side to postpone the exchange.

[Tanaka Tokihiko]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

1895年（明治28）4月17日、下関で日本と清(しん)国との間に締結された講和条約。日清戦争で圧倒的勝利を収めた日本に対し、清国は欧米列強の斡旋(あっせん)に頼って事態を収拾しようとした。日本はドイツ、アメリカなど、列強の斡旋による講和を拒否したので、清国側はついに北洋大臣・直隷総督(ちょくれいそうとく)李鴻章(りこうしょう)を講和使節全権として日本に派遣した。日本側全権は、首相伊藤博文(ひろぶみ)、外相陸奥宗光(むつむねみつ)で、講和交渉は下関の春帆楼(しゅんぱんろう)で開かれた。清国側は休戦条約を優先させることを主張したが、日本側は応ぜず、講和条件を提示、李はこれに難色を示した。ところが宿舎近くで李が狙撃(そげき)され、負傷する事件が起こり、日本側は列強の非難を恐れて李の要求どおり、休戦条約を先に締結した。引き続いて11か条からなる日清講和条約が締結された。その内容は、清国は(1)韓国が独立国であることを承認し、(2)遼東(りょうとう)半島、澎湖(ほうこ)島、台湾を日本に割譲し、(3)2億両(テール)（約3億円）の賠償金を支払い、(4)清国内の蘇州(そしゅう)、杭州(こうしゅう)、重慶(じゅうけい)、沙市(さし)を開市し、開市・開港地において日本人が商工業活動を行うことを承認する、(5)日清通商航海条約を新たに西洋諸国と同じ条件で結び、日本の治外法権、片務的協定関税率を承認する、というものであった。調印直後、ロシア、ドイツ、フランスのいわゆる三国干渉がなされ、日本は遼東半島を清国に還付した。講和条約の批准書交換は、清国側の延期要請を拒否して、5月8日芝罘(チーフ)で行われた。

［田中時彦］

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