Treaty of Shimonoseki — treaty signed at the Shunpanrō hall, Shimonoseki, Japan on April 17, 1895, between the Empire of Japan and the Qing Empire, ending the First Sino-Japanese War.
Ended the First Sino-Japanese War, transferring Taiwan and Penghu to Japan and reshaping East Asian power dynamics.
Key Facts
- Date signed
- April 17, 1895
- War indemnity
- 200 million taels (plus 30 million after Triple Intervention) taels
- Territories ceded to Japan
- Taiwan, Penghu Islands, Liaodong Peninsula (later returned)
- Trading ports opened
- Shashi, Chongqing, Suzhou, Hangzhou
- Peace conference duration
- March 20 – April 17, 1895
- Treaty articles
- 11
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Japan decisively defeated Qing China's land and naval forces during the First Sino-Japanese War, exposing the weakness of the Qing military and compelling China to seek peace negotiations that opened in Shimonoseki on March 20, 1895.
At the Shunpanrō hotel in Shimonoseki, representatives of Japan and the Qing Empire signed an 11-article treaty on April 17, 1895. Japan's signatories were Count Itō Hirobumi and Viscount Mutsu Munemitsu; China was represented by Li Hongzhang and Li Jingfang. The treaty required China to end its tributary relationship with Korea, pay a 200-million-tael indemnity, cede Taiwan, the Penghu Islands, and the Liaodong Peninsula, and open four cities as trading ports.
Within a week, the Triple Intervention by Russia, Germany, and France forced Japan to relinquish the Liaodong Peninsula for an additional 30 million taels. Taiwan's population resisted Japanese takeover until October 1895. The treaty remained in force until abrogated by the Treaty of Taipei on April 28, 1952, following Japan's defeat in World War II.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Itō Hirobumi, Mutsu Munemitsu.
Side B
1 belligerent
Li Hongzhang, Li Jingfang.