China during World War I instance of country in World War I
China participated in World War I from 1917 to 1918 in an alliance with the Entente Powers. Although China never sent troops overseas, 140,000 Chinese labourers (as a part of the British Army, the Chinese Labour Corps) served for both British and French forces before the end of the war. While neutral since 1914, Duan Qirui, Premier of the Republic of China, spearheaded Chinese involvement in World War I. Duan wanted to integrate China with Europe and the United States by declaring on the side of the Allies against the Central Powers. On 14 August 1917, China ended its neutrality, declaring war on the German Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire.Background
World War I began at the time when China entered a new period after the end of feudalism. In April 1912, the Chinese military official Yuan Shikai gained power and ended the rule of the Qing dynasty. Shikai became the president of the Republic of China while he sought to reinforce the central government.China was neutral at the start of the war, as the country was financially chaotic, unstable politically, and militarily weak. Shikai attempted to hold China’s neutrality in the war, an idea that was favored by the German chargé d'affaires in Peking, Adolf Georg von Maltzan. In 1914, Japanese and British military forces liquidated some of Germany's holdings in China. Shikai secretly offered British diplomat John Jordan 50,000 troops to retake the German military colony in Qingdao, but he was refused. Japan went on to capture Qingdao and occupy portions of Shandong Province.In January 1915, Japan issued an ultimatum called the Twenty-One Demands to the Chinese government. They included Japanese control of former German rights, 99-year leases in southern Manchuria, an interest in steel mills, and concessions regarding railways. After China rejected Japan's initial proposal, a reduced set of "Thirteen Demands" was transmitted in May, with a two-day deadline for response. Shikai, competing with other local warlords to become the ruler of all China, was not in a position to risk war with Japan, and accepted appeasement. The final form of the treaty was signed by both parties on 25 May 1915.Events of 1917
On 17 February 1917, the French passenger/cargo ship SS Athos was sunk by the German U-boat SM U-65. The ship carried 900 Chinese workers, 543 of whom were killed, and China subsequently severed diplomatic ties with Germany in March. The Chinese officially declared war on the Central Powers on 14 August, one month after the failed Manchu Restoration. German and Austro-Hungarian concessions in Tientsin and Hankow were swiftly occupied by China.By entering the war, Duan Qirui, Premier of the Republic of China, hoped to gain international prestige from China's new allies. He sought the cancellation of many of the indemnities and concessions that China had been forced to sign in the past. The major aim was to earn China a place at the post-war bargaining table, to regain control over the Shandong Peninsula, and to shrink Japan's sphere of influence. China officially issued a declaration of war on 14 August 1917.After war was declared  the Labour Department of the Chinese government began officially organizing the recruitment of Chinese nationals as labourers. The government considered sending a token combat unit to the Western Front, but never did so.
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