A Study On The British Intervention During The Japanese Invasion Of Taiwan In 1874

In 1874, Japan invaded Taiwan, which was the beginning of the Japanese invasion of China in modern times. On the related elaboration of this event, historians have tended to focus on China and Japan, and paid less attention to the British intervention. Therefore, its internal drive for intervention and the role it played need to be studied further. In this paper, it sorts out the primary source of this activity by going into the Chinese, Japanese sources. Through the study of negotiation activities of the British minister Harry S. Parkes in Japan, and the British minister Thomas F. Wade in China, whose negotiation activities to China and Japan, we can analyze the national interest behind Britain's diplomacy.This article has five parts. Firstly the analysis of Britain's policy toward China, including British trade superiority in China under the unequal treaty system and Taiwan's important status in the relationship of the United Kingdom and China. Next, it inspects negotiation activities of Harry S. Parkes to Japan, Thomas F. Wade to China and Japan in order to make a scrutiny into the Britain's intervention process. Despite Harry S. Parkes'negotiation has not prevented Japan's aggression to Taiwan, but it is truly a heavy blow to Japan. While after repeated intervention, Thomas F. Wade mediates successfully in the end. Following, it analyzes the treaty drafted by British from three aspects that brings the differences to understanding between China and Japan, with the aim to obtain a more comprehensive, thorough illustration to the Sino-Japanese Peking Treaty of 1874. Finally, the summary of the historical function of British intervention whose success not only lies the foundation for future diplomacy between Britain and Japan, but also creates conditions for British trade advantages in China. Moreover, Britain has obtained a huge of practical benefits in the process of intervention.The practical significance of this paper lies in: diplomacy is the continuum of the domestic affairs, and its ultimate goal is to serve for the national interests. The study of Britain's maintenance of its own interests through the intervention supplies a reference to modern diplomacy. It offers certain experience to China in dealing with multilateral diplomacy and coordinating relations with various countries today. Moreover, the diplomatic, military resistance of the Qing government in 1874 to Japan to ensure Taiwan's territorial integrity, which also provides a model for us to solve the Taiwan issue and safeguard the motherland's unification...