Japan's 21 Demands of the Chinese government in 1914 Essay

Japan's 21 Demands of the Chinese government in 1914 - Essay Example Japanese ambitions in China were impeded by the presence of these European powers, but an internationally recognized foothold had been secured by 1905. The start of the First World War in 1914 provided Japan with an opportunity to extend its influence over more areas of mainland China. The â€Å"21 Demands† of Japan were a manifestation of its ambitions in mainland China and a reflection of its growing strength as an international power. Korea had for long had been a bone of contention between China and Japan. For Japan, Korea was both a threat and a challenge. Positioned as it was, Korea in the hands of China was a dagger poised at the heart of Japan and that was the strategic threat. Korea was also a challenge in that it paved the way to any ambitions on mainland China. In the Sino-Japanese War between 1894 and 1895, Japan emerged the victor. China was not only forced to concede the neutrality of Korea, but also give Taiwan and the Liaodong peninsula (Port Arthur) to the Japanese. The intervention of three European powers in the form of France, Germany and Russia forced Japan to return the Liaodong peninsula to China. In 1898 Russia leased the Liaodong peninsula from China and building a railroad began to expand its influence into Korea, and by the beginning of the twentieth century the growing Russian influence in the area was a matter of concern to Japan and eventuality war broke out between the two in 1904. Jap an emerged victorious and the Portsmouth Treaty of 1905 an American effort at bringing about peace in the area established the withdrawal of Russia from Korea and the internationally recognized presence of Japan in Korea. In addition the Liaodong peninsula returned to the Japanese sphere of control, giving Japan a foothold on mainland China (1). In 1898 Germany had managed to secure several concessions from China in the Shandong province including the port of Tsingtao and the railway rights in the province. To Britain these