The Treaty of Shimonoseki was signed on April 17, 1895 at the Japanese city of Shimonoseki, and brought an end to the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–95). The treaty was signed by Li Hongzhang, on behalf of Qing China, and Prime Minister Itō Hirobumi of Japan.
The primary signatories of the Treaty of Shimonoseki included Li Hongzhang, Grand Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of China who signed a Chinese version of the treaty, as well as Itō Hirobumi, Prime Minister of Japan who signed a Japanese version. Both versions of the treaty were written in English. Other key figures present at the signing ceremony included Yuan Shikai, Minister of the Beiyang Fleet and Chief of the General Staff, who signed a separate agreement regarding disputed islands, and Count Mutsu Munemitsu, the foreign minister of Japan. Additionally, representatives of Great Britain, Russia, France and Germany were present, although only as witnesses, since the treaty was considered to be between China and Japan.
The Treaty of Shimonoseki officially ended the First Sino-Japanese War, which had lasted from August 1, 1894 to April 17, 1895. The terms of the treaty were harsh for the Chinese government, with Japan receiving significant economic and territorial concessions. This included the cession of Taiwan and the Penghu Islands to Japan, as well as Chinese recognition of Japanese control of the Liaodong Peninsula, and of Korea’s independence from China. Concessions were also made to provide financial compensation to Japan, as well as trade and most favoured nation clauses. The treaty is widely seen as an example of Japan’s growing power in East Asia in the late 19th century.
In the years following the treaty’s signing, it became increasingly unpopular among the Chinese people, who viewed the concessions made to Japan as a humiliation, and it contributed to the rise of nationalism in China during the early 20th century. It was superseded by the Treaty of Beijing in 1945, which brought an end to World War II and saw the full restoration of Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan.
Therefore, the Treaty of Shimonoseki was signed on April 17, 1895 by Li Hongzhang, on behalf of Qing China, and Prime Minister Itō Hirobumi of Japan, in the presence of representatives from Great Britain, Russia, France and Germany.