HIS102Y1 : Foreign Powers during SS.doc

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14 May 2013
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Foreign threats during self-strengthening: japanese occupation of taiwan 1874, the status of ryukyu had been ambiguous for some time. It had long been a tributary state of china. However for over two centuries it had also secretly paid tribute to japan. Ryukyuan sailors were killed by aborigenes on taiwan. Japanese foreign minister raised this issue with china, claiming the right to speak on behalf of ryukyuans. The initial chinese response was that ryukyu was a chinese tributary state and taiwan part of. China therefore this incident had nothing to do with japan. The japanese rejected this argument and in 1874 a japanese army landed on taiwan: chinese response: the director of the fuzhou dockyard was ordered to defend the island. However, he then discovered that the guns made in the arsenals could only fire salutes: negotiations then took place, with british mediation.