Abstract
The Response of the Qing Dynasty, Japan and Russia to the Railways in Manchuria after the Russo-Japanese War
- Focusing on the Conclusion of Treaty and Additional Agreement between Japan and China Relating to Manchuria -
Name: Wei Chenguang...
Abstract
The Response of the Qing Dynasty, Japan and Russia to the Railways in Manchuria after the Russo-Japanese War
- Focusing on the Conclusion of Treaty and Additional Agreement between Japan and China Relating to Manchuria -
Name: Wei Chenguang
Department: Department of History, Korea University
Thesis Advisor: Cho Myung Chul
This thesis reviews the negotiations among the Qing Dynasty, Japan and Russia on the Manchuria Railway after the Russo-Japanese War, focusing on the handling of the complicated Manchuria issue between the Qing Dynasty and Japan. Owned no railway in Manchuria before the Russo-Japanese War, Japan managed to occupy part of the South Manchuria Railway—the southern branch of the Chinese Eastern Railway—during the war. However, Japanese high officials divided over the management of Manchuria as well as the Manchuria Railway after considering factors like geographic position, profitability, strategic role and so on: some expressed positive opinions while others held negative attitude.
Since Japan faced serious financial problems even after it concluded the Treaty of Portsmouth with Russia, the voice of importing American capital and conducting Japanese—American joint management of the South Manchuria Railway was prevailing. In such a situation, Japanese Foreign Minister Komura Jutaro advocated the “Management Plan of the South Manchuria Railway”, arguing that Japan should control Manchuria independently and endeavor to maximize Japan’s national interests in Manchuria.
Komura attempted to let Japan control the whole South Manchuria Railway (Harbin—Port Arthur). On the ground that the Japanese army failed to occupy Harbin, Russia rejected Komura’s demand but proposed to define Changchun, locating in the south of Harbin, as the dividing point. In fact, despite the fact that Japanese army did not proceed northward to Changchun, Komura still managed to win the ownership of Changchun-Port Arthur Railway and the construction permit of the Changchun-Jilin Railway for Japan thanks to his sophisticated diplomatic skills. Komura considered the South Manchuria Railway the most important trophy of the Treaty of Portsmouth. Therefore, on his way back to Japan from the United States, Komura came up with the “Management Plan of the South Manchuria Railway”, which would enable Japan to gain actual management rights of the South Manchuria Railway. As soon as Komura returned to Japan, he overthrew the Katsura-Harriman Memorandum signed by and between Japanese Prime Minister Katsura Tarō and American Ambassador E. H. Harriman, which was an important step to achieve his “Management Plan of the South Manchuria Railway”.
In order to legally own the Changchun-Port Arthur section of the South Manchuria Railway ceded by Russia and the temporary military railways constructed in Manchuria during the Russo-Japanese War, Japan had to gain the approval of the Qing Dynasty. In order to achieve this goal, Komura together with his entourage went straight to Beijing after the Portsmouth Peace Conference, and opened negotiations with the Qing Dynasty government. However, the concessions demanded by Japan were more than what had been ceded by Russia. Thus Japan was confronted with the uncompromising attitude of the Qing Dynasty, which had not been expected by Japan. As a result, the negotiations in Beijing between Japan and the Qing Dynasty lasted for a long time—more than one month. The conflicts between Japan and the Qing Dynasty related to railways in Manchuria occurred again in the future, even after the Qing Dynasty collapsed, the disputes between Japan and the Qing Dynasty over the railways in Manchuria still remained. The origin of such disputes could be found in the negotiations conducted in Beijing between Japan and the Qing Dynasty.