Shandong Problem

The Shandong Problem (simplified Chinese: 山东问题; traditional Chinese: 山東問題; pinyin: Shāndōng wèntí) refers to the dispute over Article 156 of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.

During the First World War, China supported the Allies on condition that Germany's concessions on the Shandong peninsula would be returned to China. In spite of this agreement, the Article transferred the concessions in Shandon to Japan rather than returning sovereign authority to China. The Chinese ambassador to Paris, Wellington Koo, stated that the Chinese could not concede Shandong, which was the birthplace of Confucius, an important Chinese philosopher, as much as Christians could not concede Jerusalem, and demanded the returning of sovereignty over Shandong, to no avail. Chinese outrage over this provision led to demonstrations and a cultural movement known as the May Fourth Movement and influenced Wellington Koo not to sign the treaty.

China declared the end of its war against Germany in September 1919 and signed a separate treaty with Germany in 1921. The dispute was mediated by the United States in 1922 during the Washington Naval Conference, and the sovereignty of Shandong was agreed to be returned to China on February 4, while Japanese residents in Shandong were given special rights.

See also

• May Fourth Movement
• Sino-German cooperation (1911-1941)