The Adjustment Of Sino-DPRK Relations In The Late Qing Dynasty

Qing Dynasty replaced Ming Dynasty and became the suzerain of North Korea after the downfall of Ming Dynasty. Conquered by force of arms, North Korea admitted the place of Qing Dynasty as suzerain actively rather than surrender to it passively. This was a long and tortuous process. However, after entering in to the modern times, with the invasion of western powers and the rise of Japan, dependencies around China was invaded by western powers successively. East Asia suzerain-vassal system centered with China began to disintegrate. Since North Korea had been seen as the most important vassal state by China, with the interference of Japan, European and American countries, the Qing Regime kept adjusting the policies to North Korea so as to sustain the suzerain-vassal relationship with North Korea. North Korea, a hermit state pursuing seclusion policy, had to open to the outside world and at the same time, its policies to China were also changed. The essay elaborates the adjustment made by both China and North Korea in China-North Korea relationship to respond the change of the current situation from North Korea's carrying out westernization movement for self-strengthening and opening ports these two aspects.Before the Opium War, the subordinate relations between China and North Korea experienced establishment, conflict, breaking-in and stable development. Until the Late Qing Dynasty, impacted by Japan, European and American counties, the China-North Korea's suzerain-vassal relationship was in crisis in the late period of Qing Dynasty. In order to respond to the crisis, both China and North Korea made adjustment in China-North Korea relationship. The former East Asian Suzerain-vassal System was broken and China-North Korea relationship developed into the modern diplomatic relation.In 1860 s and 1870 s, when North Korea was encountering various foreign-interrupting affairs, the Qing Regime left North Korea to its own autonomy and kept out of the affairs. Later than, North Korea sent officers to Tianjin to study western civilization for self-strengthening. The Qing Regime fulfilled the obligation of a traditional suzerain and acted as an active guide for North Korea to resist the enemy jointly. However, North Korea adopted “Shida”(weak countries serve the power and see the power as suzerain) appendage policy to China. Along with the increasing pressure of opening commercial ports from the great powers, the Qing Regime changed from a backstage guide to North Korea to a front spokesman for it, i.e. the Qing Regime changed its passive policy to North Korea to indirect interfering policy. After North Korea opened commercial ports, its policy to the Qing Regime was subtly changed. It started to germinate a thought of self-strengthening and breaking off the control of the Qing Regime. The Qing Regime strengthened control over North Korea and changed its policy to North Korea from indirect interference to comprehensive interference in internal affairs and diplomacy. In this way, East Asian suzerain-vassal system intertwined with western treaties. Two different diplomacy systems existed together at that time. With the changing of situation of the East Asia and the strengthen of the national consciousness of the North Korea, the China-North Korea relationship broke down finally and gradually transferred to a modern new diplomatic relations under the guidance of western countries.