An agreement was signed in Beijing on May 20, 1921, between the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

and the

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...

governments to restore peaceful relations after the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. The main reason for the treaty was that the Chinese government had refrained from signing the

Treaty of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles (french: Traité de Versailles; german: Versailler Vertrag, ) was the most important of the peace treaties of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June ...

since it granted the Japanese government control over Chinese territory, the formerly-German concession of

Shandong Shandong ( , ; ; alternately romanized as Shantung) is a coastal province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the East China region. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilizati ...

. The agreement was beneficial for both sides by leading to cooperation between the two governments in the military field that lasted until the German government became aligned with the Japanese government on the eve of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The treaty was registered in ''League of Nations Treaty Series'' on May 15, 1922.

Background

The

Chinese government The Government of the People's Republic of China () is an authoritarian political system in the People's Republic of China under the exclusive political leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It consists of legislative, executive, mili ...

declared war on the

German Reich German ''Reich'' (lit. German Realm, German Empire, from german: Deutsches Reich, ) was the constitutional name for the German nation state that existed from 1871 to 1945. The ''Reich'' became understood as deriving its authority and sovereignty ...

on August 14, 1917 and thus became one of the Allied Powers of the First World War. On June 28, 1919, the

between the Allied governments and the German government was signed, but the Chinese delegation was instructed by the government in Beijing not to sign the treaty since it granted the

Japanese Empire The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent forma ...

control over areas in China. As a result, the diplomatic state of war between Berlin and Beijing was not terminated. On September 15, 1919, Chinese President Hsu Shih-chang issued a decree lifting enemy state restrictions from the German government.John V.A. MacMurray (ed.), ''Treaties and Agreements with and Concerning China 1894–1919'' (New York, 1921) vol. 2, p. 1381. On May 20, 1921, both governments concluded a treaty to restore the state of peace between them without recognizing the transfer of the former German colonies in China to Japanese control.

Terms

The agreement was accompanied by a joint declaration in which both governments agreed that their relations would be governed by the main provisions of the Treaty of Versailles, without accepting the transfer of territories from China to Japanese control. The agreement restored diplomatic and trade relations between the two governments and abolished German consular jurisdiction over German citizens staying in China, a practice that had existed prior to the war.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Text of the Agreement Regarding the Restoration of the State of Peace between Germany and China

Article about German commercial rights in China, which were terminated by the peace treaty
China–Germany relations Interwar-period treaties Treaties concluded in 1921 Treaties of the Weimar Republic

Background

Terms

See also

References

External links