Nishi–Rosen Agreement

The Nishi -Rosen Agreement (Japanese西·ローゼン 協定, Nishi- Rozen Kyotei; Russian Протокол Ниси - Розена, protocol Nisi - Rozena ) was an agreement between the Japanese Empire and the Russian Empire as to a balance of interests in Korea. The agreement was signed in Tokyo on 25 April 1898 by the Japanese Foreign Minister Nishi Tokujiro and Russian Foreign Minister Roman Romanovich Rosen.

Background

After the Japanese victory in the First Sino-Japanese War, there came over the question of the political and economic control of Korea between the Japanese Empire and the Russian Empire to tensions. After the Russian government, which strove for a free hand in Manchuria, had the Japanese Empire initially indicated that they want from then on no longer interfere in internal Korean affairs, beat the Japanese cabinet headed by Itō Hirobumi ago, in return for a free recognize Manchuria as a Russian sphere of influence in Korea hand ( Man- Kan Kokan ). However, it became clear during the negotiations that Russia would not make such a far-reaching concessions.

Content

This protocol, which does not mention the Manchuria, was aimed at confirming the equilibrium between the Japanese Empire and the Russian Empire in Korea.

Importance

Although the agreement did not represent a withdrawal of the Russian Empire from Korea, however, enabled especially the third provision of the Treaty, the Japanese side, after the previous setbacks again equal footing with the other Western powers in the race for concessions on the Korean peninsula enter.

Finally fixed the Agreement, the recognition of the Russian sphere of influence in Manchuria by Japan and Russia's recognition of the special position of Japan in Korea for a very limited period.