Amédée Courbet
Most of the ships of the Nanyang fleet remained safely in harbour at Shanghai or Nanking during the Sino-French War (August 1884–April 1885). In July 1884 the French ironclad "Triomphante" observed the presence of the Nanyang fleet at Shanghai. Her commander, "capitaine de vaisseau" Baux, cabled Admiral Amédée Courbet for permission to attack the Chinese with "Triomphante" and the cruiser "d'Estaing". Jules Ferry's cabinet considered the merits of an attack on the Nanyang fleet, but decided that the risks to business confidence were too great, and notified Courbet that no naval action would be permitted at Shanghai. Courbet thereupon ordered "Triomphante" and "d'Estaing" to leave Shanghai and join him in the Min River, where he was concentrating his squadron against the Fujian Fleet and the Foochow Navy Yard. The French cruiser "Parseval" was sent to Shanghai in early August to keep the Nanyang Fleet under observation.