Preparation for Attending the Peace Conference as a Neutral Nation

Following the outbreak of World War I, the Chinese Republican government began to plan to attend the post-war peace conference as it was unable to preserve its neutrality. While theoretical debates were taking place in China, Liu Shixun, the minister to Brazil, was sent to Europe to explore the possibility of attending the conference. Xia Yiting, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Counselor, was then deployed as the special envoy to learn about the circumstances of European nations. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs conducted extensive diplomatic research to envision China attending the peace conference as a neutral nation, as China’s repeated attempts to enter the conflict were rejected. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs examined the attitudes of both the belligerent and neutral powers in order to achieve this goal. Prior to entering the conflict, the research conducted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs helped China make informed decisions. Meanwhile, at the request of the Allied Powers, the government of the Republic of China sent Chinese laborers to Europe in place of troops to increase the possibility of participating in a future peace conference. However, nonetheless, the way the war played out reshaped China’s foreign policy. China’s preparations for attending the peace conference took a new turn once it declared war on Germany.