Liang Qichao 's Study Of China' S Diplomacy In The First World War

As one of modern founders of the national bourgeoisie, LIANG Qi-chao knew that thetimes of Republic of China transformed full of frustrations under the background of Xinhai. Hepersisted in building the dream of world country in the “enlightened autarchy”. Therefore, hecooperated successively with strong men of the Northern Warlords——YUAN Shi-kai andDUAN Qi-rui, Who had been at the helm of Beijing Government of Republic of China.However,it was the period——the First World War took place in Europe and Republic of Chinadeclared its neutrality. Under the cover of European wars, Japan sent an army into Qingdao,expanded its invasion and vigorously negotiated “Twenty-One Demands” according to Englandand Japan’s league. Japanese ambition of dominating China was known to everyone. LIANGQi-chao consciously elucidated his diplomacy thought under cover of the height of the patriotism.His diplomacy thought was against Japanese imperialist aggression and to safeguard nationalsovereignty and territorial integrity. On the one hand, he strongly condemned and revealedJapanese ambition of annexing China. On the other hand, he examined YUAN Shi-kai’s route ofcompromising diplomacy and autocratic domestic affairs. They were LIANG Qi-chao andYUAN Shi-kai’s relationship of diplomacy and domestic affairs in this period. With the course ofthe First World War becoming faster and faster, the central issue of diplomacy and domesticaffairs were: whether or not to give up the status of neutralized state, take part in ententecountries, declare war against German and Austro-Hungarian Empire, and who could be rely on.LIANG Qi-chao tried his best to support DUAN Qi-rui to take part in the war by relying onJapan, declare war against German and enforce the diplomacy route of "China and Japan’sfriendship, closing to Japan in every side". What’s more, he involved partly of “Xiyuan’s OriginalLoan”. Through the thing of “An Exchange of Documents on Shandong’s Questions”, he totallyknew DUAN Qi-rui’s warlord nature. LIANG Qi-chao personally participated in the Paris PeaceConference, when the First World War finished. He took advantage of public opinions at homeand abroad, explained and carried out the diplomacy thought of Republic of China, and deepenedthe diplomacy thought——“Axiom could triumph over might”.