THE LIAOTUNG CONVENTION
SIGNED AT PEKING, 8TH NOVEMBER, 1895
His Majesty the Emperor of China and His Majesty the Emperor of Japan, desiring to conclude a Convention for the retrocession by Japan of all of the Southern portion of the province of Feng-tien to the Sovereignty of China, have for that purpose na:red as their Plenipotentiaries, that is to say :-
His Majesty the Emperor of China, Li Hung Chang, Minister Plenipotentiary, Senior Tutor of the Heir Apparent, Senior Grand Secretary of State and Earl of the First Rank, and His Majesty the Emperor of Japan, Baron Hayashi Tadasu, Shoshü Grand Cross of the Imperial Order of the Sacred Treasure, Grand Officer of the Imperial Order of the Rising Sun, Minister Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary ; who, after having communicated to each other their full powers, which were found to be in good and proper form, have agreed upon the following Articles :-
Art. I.--Japan retrocedes to China in perpetuity and full sovereignty the Southern portion of the province of Feng-tien, which was ceded to Japan under Article II. of the Treaty of Shimonoseki on the 23rd day of the 3rd month of the 21st year of Kuang Hsu, corresponding to the 17th day of the 4th month of the 28th year of Meiji, together with all fortifications, arsenals, and public property thereon at the time the retroceded territory is completely evacuated by the Japanese forces in accordance with the provisions of Article III. of this Convention, that is to the Southern portion of the province of Feng-tien from the mouth of the River Yulu to the mouth of the River An-ping, thence to Feng Huang Ch'en, thence to Hai Chiêng and thence to Ying K'ou; also all cities and towns to the south of this boundary and all islands appertaining or belonging to the province of Feng Tien situated in the Eastern portion of the Bay of Liao Tung and in the Northern part of the Yellow Sea.
say,
Article III. of the said Treaty of Shimonoseki is in consequence suppressed, as are also the provisions in the same Treaty with reference to the conclusion of a Convention to regulate frontier intercourse and trade.
Art. II.-As compensation for the retrocession of the Southern portion of the province of Feng Tien, the Chinese Government engage to pay to the Japanese Government 30,000,000 Kuping Taels on or before the 30th day of the 9th month of the 21st year of Kuang Hsü, corresponding to the 16th day of the 11th month of the 28th year of Meiji (November 16th, 1895).
Art. III. Within three months from the day on which China shall have paid to Japan the compensatory indemnity of 30,000,000 Kuping Taels provided for in Article II. of this Convention, the retroceded territory shall be completely evacuated by the Japanese forces.
Art. IV.-China engages not to punish in any manner nor to allow to be punished those Chinese subjects who have in any manner been compromised in connection with the occupation by the Japanese forces of the retroceded territory.
Art. V. The present Convention is signed in duplicate in the Chinese, Japanese, and English languages. All these texts have the same meaning and intention, but in case of any differences of interpretation between the Chinese and Japanese texts, such differences shall be decided by reference to the English text.
Art. VI.-The present Convention shall be ratified by His Majesty the Empero of China and His Majesty the Emperor of Japan and the ratifications thereof shall be exchanged at Peking within twenty-one days from the present date.
In witness whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the same and have affixed thereto the seals of their arms.
Done at Peking this twenty-second day of the ninth month of the twenty-first year of Kuang Hsü, corresponding to the eighth day of the eleventh month of the twenty-eighth year of Meiji (November 8th, 1895).
[L.S.] BARON HATashi Tadasu.
LI HUNG CHANG.
[L.8.]
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