The Treaty of Peace between Japan and the Republic of China, officially known as the Treaty of Taipei, was an agreement that ended the Sino-Japanese War. The treaty was signed on April 28, 1952 and went into effect on May 5, 1952.
The Sino-Japanese War was a conflict that took place between China and Japan from 1894 to 1895. The war had its roots in the decades-long unequal treaties imposed upon Qing China by Western countries, particularly Japan. The war began when Japan sent an ultimatum demanding the cession of Taiwan, which was refused by the Qing government. As a result, Japan declared war and proceeded to launch a powerful military invasion of China. The Chinese forces were unable to match the Japanese military and the war quickly devolved into a series of Chinese defeats culminating in the fall of Beijing to Japanese forces.
After the Japanese victory, the Qing government requested mediation from several Western powers, including the United States, to negotiate a peace treaty. This led to the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki, which officially ended the war in 1895. Under the terms of the Treaty, China was forced to cede Taiwan, the Pescadores Islands, Liaodong Peninsula, and part of Fengtian Province to Japan. In addition, Japan received a huge indemnity of 200 million taels of silver and various other privileges.
Although the Treaty of Shimonoseki technically ended the war, the peace was fragile and tensions between the two nations remained high. The treaty was seen by many Chinese as extremely unfair and they refused to recognize it. The situation was further complicated by Japan’s aggressive expansion into China during World War II. After the war, China sought to renegotiate the terms of the Treaty of Shimonoseki and eventually succeeded in doing so with the signing of the Treaty of Taipei in 1952.
This treaty replaced the Treaty of Shimonoseki and officially ended the Sino-Japanese War. Under the terms of the Treaty of Taipei, Japan formally renounced all claims to the territories it had annexed under the previous treaty, including Taiwan and the Liaodong Peninsula. In addition, Japan agreed to pay an additional indemnity of 150 million taels of silver to China. Japan also agreed to withdraw its troops from Manchuria, to respect Chinese sovereignty, and to provide financial assistance for China’s post-war reconstruction.
With the signing of the Treaty of Taipei, the Sino-Japanese War finally came to an end after more than 50 years of conflict. The treaty provided the framework for normalizing relations between the two countries and paved the way for mutual economic cooperation, though distrust and animosity still lingered. Nevertheless, the treaty marked a crucial milestone in the history of both nations and set the tone for future diplomatic relations.