In 1886, Li Hongzhang decided that the navy admiral Ding Ruchang would lead the four ships Zhenyuan, Dingyuan, Weiyuan, and Jiyuan to the Mitsubishi Shipyard in Nagasaki, Japan for inspection and repair, and launched a "goodwill visit" to Japan. This is also the first visit to Japan by the Chinese armored fleet. One
On August 1, the Beiyang Fleet arrived at the port of Nagasaki, Japan. For the first time, the citizens of Nagasaki who witnessed the giant iron-clad ship from China crowded the pier. Watching the majestic giant ship fly the dragon flag high, the crowd has mixed emotions of wonder, envy, and resentment. On August 13, 1886, the Japanese invited Beiyang officers and soldiers who arrived in Nagasaki to go ashore for shopping. Some sailors violated military discipline, went to the local brothel for fun and drank and fight. Upon hearing the news, the police quelled the incident, and a number of emotional soldiers went to the police station to continue the disturbance. He stabbed a Japanese policeman severely with a saber. The sailor in the accident was also slightly injured and arrested. Unexpectedly, more than 400 people rushed out of the warship and went straight to the police station, while the 12-inch cannon on the ship was turned around. The muzzle was aimed at downtown Nagasaki. Now Japan has lost its temper. Faced with the strong boats and guns, it can only let go of people obediently, and apologize for compensation. "Nagasaki Express" reported this, and the British consulate in Nagasaki also included the incident in the report.
Unlike handling diplomatic events before 1886, the Qing court showed a rather tough attitude. The chief instructor of the Beiyang Navy, Langweili, even proposed the severance of diplomatic relations with Japan and a settlement by force.
In February 1887, the two parties reached an agreement on mutual concessions. Both parties agreed that the language barrier caused the misunderstanding, so the perpetrators were handed over to the government of their own country to deal with, and the dead and injured were compensated by the other party. It is worth mentioning that the amount of pension paid by the Japanese side greatly exceeded that of the Qing court. In other words, it is equivalent to paying compensation to China!
