In 1896, Li Hongzhang, an important minister of the Qing Dynasty, visited New York in the United States wearing a yellow coat, which caused an unprecedented sensation. According to reports, 500,000 New Yorkers poured into the streets just to catch a glimpse of the high-ranking Oriental official. The New York Times even devoted a lot of space to the event. However, the purpose of Li Hongzhang's visit was not sightseeing, but to ease the oppression of China by foreign powers through diplomatic efforts. He has made many foreign visits but failed repeatedly, so what will happen to this visit to New York? Will his diplomatic tactics be appropriate? Will he finally change China's fate? Let us find out.
The background and purpose of Li Hongzhang's visit to the United States
In the second half of the 19th century, China had been reduced to a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society. Since the Opium Wars, the fleets of the great powers have continuously violated China's territory and sovereignty, imposing a series of unequal treaties. The concessions of Western countries in China are expanding day by day, and the behavior of foreign courts in China is becoming more and more rampant.
In 1894, the Sino-Japanese War broke out, and the Qing Dynasty was defeated and forced to sign the Treaty of Guantao. According to the treaty, the Qing Dynasty not only had to pay huge indemnities, but was also forced to cede the Liaodong Peninsula. This is undoubtedly another major blow to China. The defeat in the war intensified the coveting and oppression of China by the great powers.
Faced with an increasingly grim situation, Li Hongzhang, then premier, realized that China must use diplomatic means to ease the pressure on the foreign powers. In 1896, he was invited to New York, USA, to attend the "Annual World Peace Conference". Li Hongzhang hopes to take this opportunity to explain China's demands to Western countries, call for peace, and ease pressure on China.
As the most prestigious diplomatic official of the Qing Dynasty, Li Hongzhang visited overseas many times. However, his diplomatic efforts have repeatedly been frustrated and have failed to make a real difference in China's situation. In 1858, he accompanied the Shengjing general Qiying to Tianjin to negotiate with the British and French envoys, but was eventually forced to sign the unequal Treaty of Tianjin. In 1876, he went to Russia as Minister Plenipotentiary, but failed to make substantial progress on the Ili issue.
Li Hongzhang's activities during his stay in New York
On August 28, 1896, Li Hongzhang and his entourage arrived in New York, USA. As China's highest-ranking diplomatic envoy, he received a grand welcome. New York City mayors, governors, federal government officials, and celebrities from all walks of life came to greet them.
On 30 August, Li Hongzhang attended the opening ceremony of the "Annual World Peace Conference." It was an international conference aimed at promoting world peace, and was attended by dignitaries, scholars and representatives of civilians from all over the world. As a representative of the eastern countries, Li Hongzhang delivered a speech at the meeting, expounding China's desire to pursue peace and calling on the great powers to stop their oppression of China. His speech was met with applause from the audience.
During the meeting, Li Hongzhang also met with US President Grover Cleveland and had an in-depth exchange of views on Sino-US relations and the international situation. President Cleveland extended a sincere welcome to Li Hongzhang and promised that the United States would respect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In addition to attending meetings and meeting with dignitaries, Li Hongzhang also visited a number of factories, schools, and barracks in New York. He was impressed by the industrial prowess, the level of education, and the military power of the United States. At the same time, he also noticed some shortcomings in American society, such as the disparity between the rich and the poor, racial discrimination and other problems.
During his stay in New York, Li Hongzhang also took the time to interact with the local Chinese community. He visited a number of Chinese organizations and convened a Chinese congress to listen to the voices of the Chinese. This has made the vast number of overseas Chinese feel extremely proud and excited, and they have expressed their desire to work hard to contribute to the prosperity and strength of the motherland.
During Li Hongzhang's visit to the United States, people from all walks of life in New York showed great enthusiasm and curiosity about the arrival of this high-ranking Oriental official. The newspapers reported in detail on his every move, and people could be seen crowding on the streets from time to time just to see him. Some commentators believe that this enthusiasm not only stems from curiosity about oriental culture, but also reflects the respect that Americans have for this ancient country.
The enthusiasm of the New York people for Li Hongzhang
The visit of Li Hongzhang, a high-ranking Oriental official, aroused unprecedented enthusiasm and attention in New York. According to reports at the time, 500,000 New Yorkers poured into the streets just to catch a glimpse of Mr. Li. It was the largest street rally in New York's history.
The enthusiasm of the New York people for Li Hongzhang stems from many reasons. First of all, his visit as China's highest-ranking diplomatic envoy naturally aroused people's curiosity. In the second half of the 19th century, China, an ancient oriental country, was suffering from oppression and aggression by foreign powers, and was in a precarious situation. The purpose of Li Hongzhang's visit is to alleviate this predicament through diplomatic efforts. As such, his visit is seen as an important signal of China's appeal to the world for peace.
Secondly, New York, as the immigration city of the United States, gathers immigrants from all over the world. Many of these immigrants have a strong interest in Oriental culture. Li Hongzhang was dressed in a traditional Chinese official uniform, representing the unique charm of Chinese civilization, which naturally aroused the strong interest of the people.
Again, the United States at that time was in the early stages of industrialization, and all walks of life were booming. During his visit, Li Hongzhang not only attended the peace conference, but also visited factories, schools, and barracks in New York. This made many people even more interested in the visit of this high-ranking Oriental official, hoping to see his reaction to the process of American modernization.
In addition to ordinary people, the Chinese community in New York was even more enthusiastic about Li Hongzhang's visit. The arrival of the envoy of the motherland has made the majority of overseas Chinese feel extremely proud. They poured into the streets one after another, just to catch a glimpse of Li Hongzhang's demeanor. Some Chinese even traveled from other cities to witness the spectacle with their own eyes.
Warmly welcomed by the Chinese community, Li Hongzhang also took the time to interact with the local Chinese. He visited a number of Chinese organizations and convened a Chinese congress to listen to the voices of the Chinese. This has further deepened the Chinese people's attachment and pride in the motherland.
The impact and reflection of Li Hongzhang's visit to the United States
Although Li Hongzhang's visit to New York was warmly welcomed, it did not change China's destiny in the end. Four years later, in 1900, the Eight-Nation Coalition invaded Beijing, which once again brought heavy trauma to China.
The purpose of Li Hongzhang's visit was to ease the oppression of China by foreign powers through diplomatic efforts. However, the Western powers at that time had already begun their global expansion, and they would not abandon their aggression against China just because of a peace conference.
During his stay in New York, although Li Hongzhang met with US President Cleveland and obtained a commitment from the US side to respect China's sovereignty, this was only a dead letter. Subsequent historical facts have proved that the United States did not really fulfill its commitments, but instead participated in the aggression against China.
Mr. Lee's performance in New York has raised questions about his diplomatic approach. Some commentators believe that Li Hongzhang is too weak in diplomacy and lacks autonomy and decisiveness. He tried to relieve the pressure of the Great Powers by peaceful means, but this was clearly futile in the international situation at the time.
Some people even pointed out that the root cause of Li Hongzhang's diplomatic failure was the corruption and backwardness of the Qing government. At that time, China not only lagged far behind the other powers in terms of military strength, but also had serious problems in politics, economy, and culture. The decay and incompetence of the Qing ruling class were the root cause of China's repeated aggressions.
The failure of Li Hongzhang's visit to the United States has once again confirmed the truth that "a weak country has no diplomacy." In a world where the law of the jungle is the strongest, only when we are strong can we gain a foothold on the international stage and truly protect our country and people.
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Since then, the Chinese people have experienced a century of humiliation, but finally embarked on the road of national prosperity and strength through their unremitting struggle. Today, China has become a responsible major country and plays an increasingly important role in safeguarding world peace and promoting common development.