法国与中日甲午战争

France and the First Sino-Japanese War

法国在中日甲午战争爆发前后虽一再宣称在朝鲜问题上没有直接利益,表面上持观望态度,但实际上,法国从一开始就将中日战争视为巩固法俄同盟和进一步侵略中国西南边疆的天赐良机,乐见中日开战,并始终与俄国保持一致立场,抵制英国在调停中扮演主导角色。在战争胜败趋于明朗和日本侵略中国的野心暴露之后,法国从观望走向干涉,先后积极参加俄、英、法和俄、法、德三国干涉行动,并希望阻止日本占领台湾和澎湖列岛,以维护欧洲整体利益和巩固法俄同盟,防止日本取代欧洲主宰中国,同时从中国索取回报。在还辽条件谈判过程中,法国捐弃与宿敌德国的矛盾,尽力调解德、俄分歧,维持三国的共同行动,并主张以牺牲中国的利益满足日、俄两方的要求,以促使辽东问题尽快解决。

Before and after the breakout of the First Sino-Japanese War , France proclaimed repeatedly that it had no immediate interests involved in the Korean issue and took a sideline attitude toward the war.But actually , it saw the war as a good chance to consolidate the Franco-Russian alliance and intrude into the south-western border of China , and was glad to see the breakout of the war.Throughout the period , it remained in the same stand with Russia to resist the dominance of Britain in the reconciliation.Later , as the results of the war became clear and as Japan's wild ambition for invasion was exposed , France began to shift its wait-and-see attitude , and took an active part in the Russia-Britain-France intervention and the Russia-France-Germany intervention.It wished to stop Japan from occupying Taiwan and the Penghu Archipelago , so as to safeguard the overall interests of Europe and cement the Franco-Russia alliance , to prevent Japan from replacing Europe in dominating China , and to seek reciprocation from China.In negotiating the term s of returning the Liaodong Peninsula to China , France buried the hatchet with its old enemy Germany and reconciled the divergences between Germany and Russia , so that the three countries could take joint action.It also supported the idea that China's interests should be sacrificed to meet the demands of Japan and Russia , so that the Liaodong Peninsula issue could be solved as soon as possible.