Twenty-One Demands (Èrshí Yī Tiáo Yāoqiú 二十一条要求)|Èrshí Yī Tiáo Yāoqiú 二十一条要求 (Twenty-One Demands)

Alan BAUMLER

The economic and political ultimatums presented to China by Japan in 1915 are called the “Twenty-One Demands.” They marked the beginning of Japan’s emergence as the most aggressive foreign power pressuring China.

In January 1915 the Japanese government presented the Chinese government with a diplomatic ultimatum that came to be known as the “Twenty-One Demands.” Many of these demands were fairly specific, aimed at expanding Japan’s economic and political influence in China,