Editing Russo-Japanese War (section)

=== Russian encroachment ===
In December 1897, a Russian fleet appeared off Port Arthur. After three months, in 1898, China and Russia negotiated a convention by which China leased (to Russia) Port Arthur, [[Talienwan]] and the surrounding waters. The two parties further agreed that the convention could be extended by mutual agreement. The Russians clearly expected such an extension, for they lost no time in occupying the territory and in fortifying Port Arthur, their sole warm-water port on the Pacific coast and of great strategic value. A year later, to consolidate their position, the Russians began to build a new railway from [[Harbin]] through [[Mukden]] to Port Arthur, the [[South Manchuria Railway|South Manchurian Railroad]].{{r|Jukes2002_9}} The development of the railway became a contributory factor to the [[Boxer Rebellion]], when [[Boxers attacks on Chinese Eastern Railway|Boxer forces burned the railway stations]].{{sfn|Connaughton|1988|pp=19–20}}

The Russians also began to make inroads into Korea. A large point of Russia's growing influence in Korea was [[Gojong's internal exile to the Russian legation]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=한국사데이터베이스 |url=http://db.history.go.kr/item/level.do?itemId=hk&levelId=hk_018_0010_0490&types=o |access-date=2022-06-05 |website=db.history.go.kr}}</ref> A pro-Russian cabinet emerged in the [[Korean Empire]]. In 1901, [[Nicholas II of Russia|Tsar Nicholas II]] told [[Prince Henry of Prussia (1862–1929)|Prince Henry of Prussia]], "I do not want to seize Korea but under no circumstances can I allow Japan to become firmly established there. That will be a ''[[casus belli]]''."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Unoki |first=Ko |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Hi3uCwAAQBAJ |title=International Relations and the Origins of the Pacific War |date=2016 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-1-137-57202-8 |page=61 |language=en}}</ref> By 1898 they had acquired mining and forestry concessions near the [[Yalu river|Yalu]] and [[Tumen river|Tumen]] rivers,{{sfn|Paine|2003|p=317}} causing the Japanese much anxiety. Japan decided to attack before the Russians completed the Trans-Siberian Railway.