Alliance with Japan in the Early Diplomatic Thoughts of Li Hongzhang concerning China-Japan Diplomacy

The Qing diplomacy in Sino-Japanese relations before the 1880s was based on the "alliance-with-Japan" thoughts advocated by the Self-Strengthening officials including Li Hongzhang. His thoughts played an influential role in maintaining Sino-Japanese relations of the early modern period. From the mid-nineteenth century, the international order in East Asia evolved from a system based on traditional sovereign-vassal relations characterized by China\u27s centrality, to a western treaty system. Li\u27s "alliance-with-Japan" thoughts emerged as a result of his seeking to a new horizon of Sino-Japanese relations. This paper aims to characterise Li Hongzhang\u27s "alliance-with-Japan" thoughts in his early diplomacy, and to evaluate its significance in the historical context of changes of international order in East Asian. In addition, the difference between Li\u27s thoughts and Japan\u27s doctrine of the Sino-Japanese alliance advocated by the Meiji government is analysed