Editing First Sino-Japanese War (section)

==Events during the war==
===Opening troop movements===
By July 1894, Chinese forces in Korea numbered 3,000–3,500 and they were outnumbered by Japanese troops. They could only be supplied by sea through [[Asan Bay]]. The Japanese objective was first to blockade the Chinese at Asan and then encircle them with their land forces. Japan's initial strategy was to gain command of the sea, which was critical to its operations in Korea.{{sfn|Evans|Peattie|1997|p=40}} Command of the sea would allow Japan to transport troops to the mainland. The army's Fifth Division would land at Chemulpo on the western coast of Korea, both to engage and push Chinese forces north-west up the peninsula and to draw the Beiyang Fleet into the Yellow Sea, where it would be engaged in decisive battle. Depending on the outcome of this engagement, Japan would make one of three choices. If the Combined Fleet were to win decisively, the larger part of the Japanese army would undertake immediate landings on the coast between Shan-hai-kuan and Tientsin to defeat the Chinese army and bring the war to a swift conclusion. If the engagement were to be a draw and neither side gained control of the sea, the army would concentrate on the occupation of Korea. Lastly, if the Combined Fleet was defeated and consequently lost command of the sea, the bulk of the army would remain in Japan and prepare to repel a Chinese invasion, while the Fifth Division in Korea would be ordered to hang on and fight a rearguard action.{{sfn|Evans|Peattie|1997|p=41}}

===Sinking of the ''Kowshing''===
[[File:Chinese vessel sinking SinoJap War.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|Depiction of the sinking of the ''Kowshing'' and the rescue of some of its crew by the French gunboat ''Le Lion'', from the French periodical ''[[Le Petit Journal (newspaper)|Le Petit Journal]]'' (1894)]]
{{Main|Battle of Pungdo}}

On 25 July 1894, the cruisers ''[[Japanese cruiser Yoshino|Yoshino]]'', ''[[Japanese cruiser Naniwa|Naniwa]]'' and ''[[Japanese cruiser Akitsushima|Akitsushima]]'' of the Japanese flying squadron, which had been patrolling off Asan Bay, encountered the Chinese cruiser ''[[Chinese cruiser Jiyuan|Jiyuan]]'' and gunboat ''Kwang-yi''.{{sfn|Evans|Peattie|1997|p=41}} These vessels had steamed out of Asan to meet the transport ''Kowshing'', escorted by the Chinese gunboat ''[[Chinese gunboat Tsao-kiang|Tsao-kiang]]''. After an hour-long engagement, the ''Jiyuan'' escaped while the ''Kwang-yi'' grounded on rocks, where its powder magazine exploded.

The ''Kowshing'' was a 2,134-ton British merchant vessel owned by the Indochina Steam Navigation Company of London, commanded by Captain T. R. Galsworthy and crewed by 64 men. The ship was chartered by the Qing government to ferry troops to Korea, and was on her way to reinforce Asan with 1,100 troops plus supplies and equipment. A German artillery officer, Major von Hanneken, advisor to the Chinese, was also aboard. The ship was due to arrive on 25 July.

The Japanese cruiser ''Naniwa'', under Captain [[Tōgō Heihachirō]], intercepted the ''Kowshing'' and captured its escort. The Japanese then ordered the ''Kowshing'' to follow ''Naniwa'' and directed that Europeans be transferred to ''Naniwa''. However, the 1,100 Chinese on board, desperate to return to Taku, threatened to kill the English captain, Galsworthy, and his crew. After four hours of negotiations, Captain Togo gave the order to fire upon the vessel. A torpedo missed, but a subsequent broadside hit the ''Kow Shing'', which started to sink.

In the confusion, some of the Europeans escaped overboard, only to be fired upon by the Chinese.{{sfn|Paine|2003|p=133}} The Japanese rescued three of the British crew (the captain, first officer and quartermaster) and 50 Chinese, and took them to Japan. The sinking of the ''Kowshing'' almost caused a diplomatic incident between Japan and Britain, but the action was ruled in conformity with international law regarding the treatment of mutineers (the Chinese troops). Many observers considered the troops lost on board the ''Kowshing'' to have been the best the Chinese had.{{sfn|Paine|2003|p=133}}

The German gunboat {{SMS|Iltis|1878|2}} rescued 150 Chinese, the French gunboat ''Le Lion'' rescued 43, and the British cruiser [[HMS Porpoise (1886)|HMS ''Porpoise'']] rescued an unknown number.<ref>Sequence of events, and numbers of rescued and dead, taken from several articles from ''The Times'' of London from 2 August 1894&nbsp;– 24 October 1894</ref>

===Fighting in southern Korea===
{{Main|Battle of Seonghwan}}
[[File:Korean soldiers and Chinese captives in First Sino-Japanese War.png|thumb|Korean soldiers and Chinese captives]]
Commissioned by the new pro-Japanese Korean government to forcibly expel Chinese forces, on 25 July Major-General Ōshima Yoshimasa led a mixed brigade numbering about 4,000 on a rapid forced march from Seoul south toward Asan Bay to face Chinese troops garrisoned at Seonghwan Station east of Asan and Kongju.

The Chinese forces stationed near Seonghwan under the command of General Ye Zhichao numbered about 3,880 men. They had anticipated the impending arrival of the Japanese by fortifying their position with trenches, earthworks including six [[redoubt]]s protected by [[abatis]] and by the flooding of surrounding rice fields.{{sfn|Paine|2003|p=158}} But expected Chinese reinforcements had been lost on board the British-chartered transport ''Kowshing''.{{sfn|Paine|2003|pp=158–159}} Units of the Chinese main force were deployed east and northeast of Asan, near the main road leading to Seoul; the key positions held by the Chinese were the towns of Seonghwan and Cheonan. Approximately 3,000 troops were stationed at Seonghwan, while 1,000 men along with General Ye Zhichao were at headquarters at Cheonan. The remaining Chinese troops were stationed in Asan itself.{{sfn|Olender|2014|p=56}} The Chinese had been preparing for a pincer movement against the Korean capital by massing troops at Pyongyang in the north and Asan in the south.{{sfn|Paine|2003|p=159}}

On the morning of 27–28 July 1894, the two forces met just outside Asan in an engagement that lasted till 07:30 the next morning. The battle began with a diversionary attack by Japanese troops, followed by the main attack which quickly outflanked the Chinese defences. The Chinese troops, witnessing that they were being outflanked, left their defensive positions and fled towards the direction of Asan. The Chinese gradually lost ground to the superior Japanese numbers, and finally broke and fled towards [[Pyongyang]] abandoning arms, ammunition and all their artillery.{{sfnm|1a1=Olender|1y=2014|1p=56|2a1=Paine|2y=2003|p=159|3a1=Jowett|3y=2013|3p=30}} The Japanese took the city of Asan on 29 July, breaking the Chinese encirclement of Seoul.{{sfn|Paine|2003|p=158}} The Chinese suffered 500 killed and wounded while the Japanese suffered 88 casualties.{{sfnm|1a1=Olender|1y=2014|1p=56|2a1=Jowett|2y=2013|2p=30}} General Ye Zhichao reported to the Emperor that he had in fact won the battle and caused over 2,000 casualties to the Japanese forces, for which his army was rewarded with 20,000 taels. He then reported later that 20,000 Japanese attacked him and he inflicted a further 1,500 casualties to his 300 losses and the strategic situation compelled him to withdraw to Pyongyang where en route he inflicted a further 1,500 casualties. Ye's reports of the battle of Seonghwan were received in Beijing in August over a month after the battle occurred, an indication of the lack of proper systems of communication within the Qing army<ref>{{Cite web |last=Developers |first=S. B. B. |title=Digitalisierte Sammlungen der Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin |url=https://digital.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/werkansicht?PPN=PPN749797738&PHYSID=PHYS_0001&DMDID=DMDLOG_0001&view=overview-toc |access-date=28 August 2024 |website=Digitalisierte Sammlungen der Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin |language=de}}</ref>

===Declaration of War===
[[File:Japanese soldiers of the Sino Japanese War 1895.jpg|thumb|Japanese soldiers of the First Sino-Japanese War, 1895]]

On 1 August 1894, war was officially declared between China and Japan. The rationale, language and tone given by the rulers of both nations in their respective declarations of war were markedly different.

The tenor of the Japanese declaration of war, issued in the name of the Meiji Emperor, appears to have had at least one eye fixed on the wider international community using phrases such as 'Family of Nations', the 'Law of Nations' and making additional references to international treaties. This was in sharp contrast to the Chinese approach to foreign relations which historically was noted for refusing to treat with other nations on an equal diplomatic footing, and instead insistent on such foreign powers [[Tributary system of China|paying tribute]] to the Chinese Emperor as vassals. In keeping with the traditional Chinese approach to its neighbours, the Chinese declaration of war stated the palpable disdain for the Japanese can be surmised from the repeated use of the term ''Wojen'' which translates to 'dwarf',{{sfn|Paine|2003|p=137}} an ancient intentionally offensive and highly derogative term for the Japanese.{{sfn|Paine|2003|p=137}}

This use of the pejorative to describe a foreign nation was not unusual for Chinese official documents of the time{{snd}}so much so that a major bone of contention between Imperial China and the Treaty Powers of the day had previously been the habitual use of the Chinese character [[夷]] ('Yi'...which literally meant 'barbarian'), to refer to those termed otherwise as '[[guizi|foreign devils]]' typically describing those powers occupying the [[treaty ports]]. The use of the term 'Yi' (夷) by Chinese Imperial officials had in fact been considered so provocative by the Treaty Powers that the collective bundle of accords known as the [[Treaty of Tientsin]] negotiated in 1858 to end the [[Second Opium War]] explicitly proscribed the Chinese Imperial Court from using the term 'Yi'  to refer to officials, subjects, or citizens of the belligerent powers, the signatories seemingly feeling it necessary to extract this specific demand from the [[Xianfeng Emperor]]'s representatives.<ref>{{cite web |title=Treaty of Tientsin [Tianjin] 1858 |url=http://chinaforeignrelations.net/node/144 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305080501/http://chinaforeignrelations.net/node/144 |archive-date=5 March 2016 |url-status=usurped |quote=<br />Article LI.<br />It is agreed that, henceforward, the character "I" [barbarian], shall not be applied to the Government or subjects of Her Britannic Majesty in any Chinese official document issued by the Chinese Authorities either in the Capital or in the Provinces.}}</ref> In the thirty-five years elapsing since the Treaty of Tientsin, however, the language of the Chinese Emperors would appear to change little with regards to its neighbour Japan.

===Battle of Pyongyang===
[[File:Battle of Pyongyang by Mizuno To.jpg|thumb|344x344px|The Battle of Pyongyang.]]
{{Main|Battle of Pyongyang (1894)}}
After the initial fighting further to the south in July 1894, the Chinese ground forces focused on holding Pyongyang, beyond which there were no other defensible positions until the Yalu River, the border between Korea and China. The city was near a river to the south and east, mountains to the north, and was surrounded by walls. The Qing deployed 13,000 troops there from China, and the defenders spent almost two months preparing fortifications after they arrived in the city on 4 August, including 27 forts. The Chinese were planning to use Pyongyang as their headquarters from where they would retake the rest of the Korean peninsula.{{sfn|Paine|2003|p=165–166}} The Qing forces in the city had a large quantity of modern equipment,{{sfn|Fung|1996|pp=1017–1018}} and some of their best troops.{{sfn|Paine|2003|pp=167–168}}

At 04:30 on 15 September, the Imperial Japanese Army converged on the city of Pyongyang from four directions,{{sfn|Paine|2003|pp=167–168}} with a total of 23,800 troops.{{sfn|Fung|1996|p=1026}} They launched an artillery barrage from the east and a feint from the south as a diversion from the main attack, coming from the north, which was the easiest direction to approach from. The Chinese put up a strong resistance, and it was some of the fiercest fighting of the war, but they did not fire on Japanese troops crossing the river and were not expecting another attack from the north. Once the Japanese entered the city, the defenders were defeated and the survivors fled, being attacked by a separate Japanese force as they retreated.{{sfn|Paine|2003|pp=167–168}}{{sfn|Paine|2003|p=174}} The Japanese captured 35 artillery pieces, hundreds of rifles, and ammunition.{{sfn|Fung|1996|pp=1017–1018}} The troops led by the Chinese [[Hui]] Muslim general [[Zuo Baogui]] notably fought well, until he was killed in action by Japanese artillery.{{sfn|Paine|2003|p=169}}<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s4Lp8tgr3esC |title=Muslims in China |author=Aliya Ma Lynn |year=2007 |publisher=University Press |page=44 |isbn=978-0-88093-861-7 |volume=3 of Asian Studies}}</ref>

Taking advantage of heavy rainfall overnight, the remaining Chinese troops escaped Pyongyang and headed northeast toward the coastal city of [[Uiju]]. In the early morning of 16 September, the entire Japanese army entered Pyongyang.

===Defeat of the Beiyang fleet===
{{Main|Battle of the Yalu River (1894)}}
[[File:Battle of the Yellow Sea by Korechika.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|The [[Battle of the Yalu River (1894)|Battle of the Yalu River]]]]
[[File:Een elektrisch zoeklicht gebruiken bij de aanval op Pyongyang-Rijksmuseum RP-P-2010-310-14.jpeg|thumb|Japanese attack on Pyongyang, Korea. Colour woodcut shows the Japanese army using a searchlight to locate its target. |344x344px]]
In early September, Li Hongzhang decided to reinforce the Chinese forces at Pyongyang by employing the Beiyang fleet to escort transports to the mouth of the [[Taedong River]].{{sfn|Olender|2014|p=60}} About 4,500 additional troops stationed in the Zhili were to be redeployed. On 12 September, half of the troops embarked at [[Taku Forts|Dagu]] on five specially chartered transports and headed to [[Lüshunkou District|Dalian]] where two days later on 14 September, they were joined by another 2,000 soldiers. Initially, Admiral Ding wanted to send the transports under a light escort with only a few ships, while the main force of the Beiyang Fleet would locate and operate directly against the Combined Fleet to prevent the Japanese from intercepting the convoy.{{sfn|Olender|2014|p=60}} But the appearance of the Japanese cruisers ''Yoshino'' and ''Naniwa'' on a reconnaissance sortie near Weihaiwei thwarted these plans.{{sfn|Olender|2014|p=60}} The Chinese had mistaken them for the main Japanese fleet. Consequently, on 12 September, the entire Beiyang Fleet departed Dalian heading for Weihaiwei, arriving near the [[Shandong Peninsula]] the next day. The Chinese warships spent the entire day cruising the area, waiting for the Japanese. However, since there was no sighting of the Japanese fleet, Admiral Ding decided to return to Dalian, reaching the port in the morning of 15 September.{{sfn|Olender|2014|p=60}} As Japanese troops moved north to attack Pyongyang, Admiral Itō correctly guessed that the Chinese would attempt to reinforce their army in Korea by sea. On 14 September, the Combined Fleet steamed northwards to search the Korean and Chinese coasts to bring the Beiyang Fleet to battle.{{sfn|Evans|Peattie|1997|p=42}}

The Japanese victory at Pyongyang had succeeded in pushing Chinese troops north to the [[Yalu River]], in the process removing all effective Chinese military presence on the Korean Peninsula.{{sfn |Elleman|2001|p=101}}
Shortly before the convoy's departure, Admiral Ding received a message concerning the battle at Pyongyang informing him about the defeat. Subsequently, it made the redeployment of the troops to the mouth of the Taedong river unnecessary.{{sfn|Olender|2014|p=60}} Admiral Ding then correctly assumed that the next Chinese line of defence would be established on the Yalu River, and decided to redeploy the embarked soldiers there.{{sfn|Olender|2014|p=60}} On 16 September, the convoy of five transport ships departed from [[Dalian Bay]] under escort from the vessels of the Beiyang Fleet which included the two ironclad battleships ''[[Chinese ironclad Dingyuan|Dingyuan]]'' and ''[[Chinese ironclad Zhenyuan|Zhenyuan]]''.{{sfn|Olender|2014|p=60}} Reaching the mouth of the Yalu River, the transports disembarked the troops, and the landing operation lasted until the following morning.

On 17 September 1894, the Japanese Combined Fleet encountered the Chinese Beiyang Fleet off the mouth of the Yalu River. The naval battle, which lasted from late morning to dusk, resulted in a Japanese victory.{{sfn|Evans|Peattie|1997|p=42}} Although the Chinese were able to land 4,500 troops near the Yalu River by sunset the Beiyang fleet was near the point of total collapse{{snd}}most of the fleet had fled or had been sunk and the two largest ships ''Dingyuan'' and ''Zhenyuan'' were nearly out of ammunition.{{sfn|Evans|Peattie|1997|p=44}} The Imperial Japanese Navy destroyed eight of the ten Chinese warships, assuring Japan's command of the [[Yellow Sea]]. The principal factor in the Japanese victory was its superiority in speed and firepower.{{sfn|Evans|Peattie|1997|p=48}} The victory shattered the morale of the Chinese naval forces.{{sfn|Paine|2003|p=82}} The [[Battle of the Yalu River (1894)|Battle of the Yalu River]] was the largest naval engagement of the war and was a major propaganda victory for Japan.{{sfn|Paine|2003|pp=182–183}}<ref>{{cite journal |first1=John Curtis |last1=Perry |author-link=John Curtis Perry |date=1964 |title=The Battle off the Tayang, 17 September 1894 |journal=The Mariner's Mirror |volume=50 |issue=4 |pages=243–259 |doi=10.1080/00253359.1964.10657787}}</ref>

===Invasion of Manchuria===
{{Main|Battle of Jiuliancheng}}
[[File:Crossing the Yalu at Jiuliancheng.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Japanese troops crossing the Yalu River at Jiuliancheng]]
[[File:Illustration of the Decapitation of Violent Chinese Soldiers by Utagawa Kokunimasa 1894.png|thumb|upright=1.5|An illustration by Utagawa Kokunimasa of Japanese soldiers beheading 38 Chinese [[Prisoner of war|POWs]] as a warning to others]]
After taking Pyongyang and defeating the Chinese fleet near the Yalu River, the Japanese focused on capturing China's two naval bases guarding the approaches to the Qing capital: Port Arthur on the [[Liaodong Peninsula]] in northeast China (Manchuria), and Weihaiwei on the [[Shandong Peninsula]], one on each side of the entrance to the [[Bohai Sea]]. Another force would capture [[Mukden]], the main city in Manchuria. This plan included landing additional troops by ship near both naval bases, while the forces in Korea would march into Manchuria from the Korean border. After taking these objectives, the Imperial Japanese Army could make a pincer movement on Beijing.{{sfn|Paine|2003|pp=197–198}}

With the defeat at Pyongyang, the Chinese abandoned northern Korea and took up defensive positions in fortifications along their side of the Yalu River at [[Dandong|Jiuliancheng]], with additional fortifications being built along the river bank to the north and to the south.{{sfn|Paine|2003|pp=199–201}} The best equipped Chinese troops, the Huai Army, had been used for the defence of Korea, and after their defeat the Qing government had to deploy additional units to defend Manchuria, such as the partially-reformed Green Standard Army.{{sfn|Fung|1996|pp=1017–1018}} The Chinese force at Jiuliancheng was commanded by General [[Song Qing (Qing dynasty)|Song Qing]].{{sfn|Paine|2003|pp=199–201}}

The Japanese [[1st Army (Japan)|First Army]] under General [[Aritomo Yamagata]] marched from Pyongyang and arrived at the Yalu River on 23 October. On the 24th, the Japanese successfully crossed the Yalu River, undetected, by using a [[pontoon bridge]]. Yamagata planned to first attack the Chinese at Hushan, to the north of Jiuliancheng, to distract the defenders before then launching his main attack at their center in Jiuliancheng. The following afternoon of 25 October, they successfully captured Hushan, and intended to attack Jiuliancheng the next morning, but when they arrived there the Japanese found that the defenders had fled. The entire line of fortifications along the Yalu River, from Hushan to [[Dandong|Andong]] in the south, had been abandoned by the Chinese by the 26th. They first withdrew to [[Fenghuangcheng]], before abandoning that city on 30 October as the Japanese pursued them. The Japanese occupied it, and on 15 November they captured [[Xiuyan]], a town west of Fenghuangcheng.{{sfn|Paine|2003|pp=199–201}} After the Japanese established control over the border region, they planned on moving south along the coast to take Port Arthur and other towns in the area (including [[Jinzhou, Dalian|Jinzhou]] and [[Dalian]]), so they could land more troops. Song Qing's forces retreated in the opposite direction, toward Mukden, because it was the homeland of Manchus and had symbolic importance for the Qing dynasty.{{sfn|Paine|2003|pp=202–203}} The Japanese [[2nd Army (Japan)|Second Army]] under General [[Ōyama Iwao]] arrived by ship near the peninsula on 24 October in preparation to advance on Port Arthur.{{sfn|Paine|2003|p=151}}{{sfn|Paine|2003|pp=197–198}}{{sfn|Paine|2003|p=203}}

===Fall of Lüshunkou===
{{Main|Battle of Lüshunkou|Port Arthur massacre (China)}}

By 21 November 1894, the Japanese had taken the city of Lüshunkou (Port Arthur) with minimal resistance and suffering minimal casualties. Describing their motives as having encountered a display of the mutilated remains of Japanese soldiers as they invaded the town, Japanese forces proceeded with the unrestrained killing of civilians during the [[Port Arthur massacre (China)|Port Arthur Massacre]] with unconfirmed estimates in the thousands. This event was at the time widely viewed with scepticism, as the world at large was still in disbelief that the Japanese were capable of such deeds{{snd}}it seemed more likely to have been exaggerated propagandist fabrications of a Chinese government to discredit Japanese hegemony. In reality, the Chinese government itself was unsure how to react and initially denied the occurrence of the loss of Port Arthur to the Japanese altogether.

{{Blockquote
|text   = As we entered the town of Port Arthur, we saw the head of a Japanese soldier displayed on a wooden stake. This filled us with rage and a desire to crush any Chinese soldier. Anyone we saw in the town, we killed. The streets were filled with corpses, so many they blocked our way. We killed people in their homes; by and large, there wasn't a single house without from three to six dead. Blood was flowing and the smell was awful. We sent out search parties. We shot some, hacked at others. The Chinese troops just dropped their arms and fled. Firing and slashing, it was unbounded joy. At this time, our artillery troops were at the rear, giving three cheers [''[[Ten thousand years|banzai]]''] for the emperor.
|author = Makio Okabe
|source = diary{{sfn|Lone|1994|p=155}} }}

By 10 December 1894, Kaipeng (present-day [[Gaizhou]]) fell to the Japanese First Army. That same month, [[Nozu Michitsura]] was given command of the First Army, replacing Yamagata who had fallen ill.{{sfn|Lone|1994|p=43}}

===Fall of Weihaiwei===
[[File:Weihaiwei surrender.jpg|thumb|Revisionist depiction of Chinese delegation, led by Admiral [[Ding Ruchang]] and their foreign advisors, boarding the Japanese vessel to negotiate the surrender with Admiral [[Itō Sukeyuki]] after the [[Battle of Weihaiwei]]. In reality, Ding had committed suicide after his defeat, and never surrendered.]]
{{Main|Battle of Weihaiwei|Battle of Yingkou}}

The Chinese fleet subsequently retreated behind the Weihaiwei fortifications. However, it was then surprised by Japanese ground forces, who outflanked the harbour's defences in coordination with the navy.{{sfn|Evans|Peattie|1997|p=46}} The [[Battle of Weihaiwei]] was a 23-day siege with the major land and naval engagements taking place between 20 January and 12 February 1895. Historian Jonathan Spence notes that "the Chinese admiral retired his fleet behind a protective curtain of contact mines and took no further part in the fighting."<ref name="Spence2013">{{Cite book |title=[[The Search for Modern China]] |last=Spence |first=Jonathan |author-link=Jonathan Spence |publisher=[[W.W. Norton & Company]] |year=2013 |isbn=978-0-393-93451-9 |location=New York |page=2012}}</ref> The Japanese commander marched his forces over the Shandong peninsula and reached the landward side of Weihaiwei, where the siege was eventually successful for the Japanese.<ref name="Spence2013" />

===Advance in Manchuria and peace talks===
After Weihaiwei's fall on 12 February 1895, and an easing of harsh winter conditions, Japanese troops pressed further into southern Manchuria and northern China. Two Chinese officials had been appointed by the Qing imperial court two months earlier and were sent to meet with Japanese representatives to inquire about peace terms. After some delay they arrived in late January, but the Japanese did not consider them to have enough credentials and noted that they had not been empowered by their government to make decisions. On 2 February 1895, the envoys were told by the Japanese government that their peace mission was not considered to be serious. After the failed talks, Japanese troops of General [[Katsura Tarō]]'s 3rd Division fought off a Chinese attempt to liberate the city of [[Haicheng, Liaoning|Haicheng]] on 16 February, and then went on to capture [[Liaoyang]] on 4 March and [[Yingkou]] on 6 March. This left no more Chinese forces between the Japanese and the [[Shanhai Pass]], which connected Manchuria to [[Zhili]], giving them control over the approaches to [[Tianjin]] and Beijing.{{sfn|Morse|1918|pages=40–42}}

In late February the Qing government appointed Li Hongzhang as ambassador extraordinary to open peace talks with Japan, and the Japanese accepted this on 4 March, because he was seen as the leading Chinese statesman. Li and his delegation arrived in [[Shimonoseki]], Japan, on the 19th and were met by the Japanese prime minister and foreign minister, Itō Hirobumi and Mutsu Munemitsu. The Chinese request for an armistice was rejected because the conditions that the Japanese insisted for it were unacceptable, and Li was informed that a Japanese invasion force was on its way to Taiwan. On 24 March, after leaving a meeting, Li was shot and injured by a Japanese nationalist. The incident caused international outrage from the Western press and led to the Meiji Emperor issuing a statement to show his grief and regret. An armistice in Manchuria and north China was agreed to on 30 March 1895, and negotiations for the final treaty continued for another three weeks.{{sfn|Morse|1918|pages=42–45}}

===Occupation of the Pescadores Islands===
{{Main|Pescadores Campaign (1895)}}

Even before the peace negotiations were set to begin at Shimonoseki, the Japanese had begun preparations for the capture of [[Taiwan (island)|Taiwan]]. However, the first operation would be directed not against the island itself, but against the [[Pescadores Islands]], which due to their strategic position off the west coast would become a stepping stone for further operations against the island.{{sfn|Olender|2014|p=163}} On 6 March, a Japanese expeditionary force consisting of a reinforced infantry regiment with 2,800 troops and an artillery battery were embarked on five transports, and sailed from Ujina to Sasebo, arriving there three days later.{{sfn|Olender|2014|p=163}} On 15 March, the five transports, escorted by seven cruisers and five torpedo boats of the 4th Flotilla, left Sasebo heading south. The Japanese fleet arrived at the Pescadores during the night of 20 March, but encountered stormy weather. Due to the poor weather, the landings were postponed until 23 March, when the weather cleared.{{sfn|Olender|2014|p=164}}

On the morning 23 March, the Japanese warships began the bombardment of the Chinese positions around the port of Lizhangjiao. A fort guarding the harbour was quickly silenced. At about midday, the Japanese troops began their landing. Unexpectedly, when the landing operation was underway, the guns of the fort once again opened fire, which caused some confusion among the Japanese troops. But they were soon silenced again after being shelled by the Japanese cruisers.{{sfn|Olender|2014|p=164}} By 14:00, Lizhangjiao was under Japanese control. After reinforcing the captured positions, the following morning, Japanese troops marched on the main town of [[Magong]]. The Chinese offered token resistance and after a short skirmish they abandoned their positions, retreating to nearby [[Xiyu, Penghu|Xiyu]] Island. At 11:30, the Japanese entered Magong, but as soon as they had taken the coastal forts in the town, they were fired upon by the Chinese coastal battery on Xiyu Island. The barrage went unanswered until nightfall, as the Chinese had destroyed all the guns at Magong before they retreated, and Japanese warships feared entering the strait between the Penghu and Xiyu Islands due to the potential threat posed by mines. However, it caused no serious casualties among the Japanese forces. During the night, a small naval gunnery crew of 30 managed to make one of the guns of the Magong coastal battery operational. At dawn, the gun began shelling the Chinese positions on Xiyu, but the Chinese guns did not respond. Subsequently, the Japanese crossed the narrow strait, reaching Xiyu, discovering that the Chinese troops had abandoned their positions during the night and escaped on board local vessels.{{sfn|Olender|2014|p=164}}

The Japanese warships entered the strait the next day and, upon discovering that there were no mine fields, they entered Magong harbour. By 26 March, all the islands of the archipelago were under Japanese control, and Rear Admiral Tanaka Tsunatsune was appointed governor. During the campaign the Japanese lost 28 killed and wounded, while the Chinese losses were almost 350 killed or wounded and nearly 1,000 taken prisoner.{{sfn|Olender|2014|p=164}} This [[Pescadores Campaign (1895)|operation]] effectively prevented Chinese forces in Taiwan from being reinforced, and allowed the Japanese to press their demand for the cession of Taiwan in the peace negotiations.