The China–Korea Treaty of 1882 (; ) was negotiated between representatives of the Qing dynasty China and the Joseon dynasty in October 1882. This agreement has been described as the "Joseon-Qing Communication and Commerce Rules"; and it has been called the "Sino-Korean Regulations for Maritime and Overland Trade." The treaty remained in effect until 1895. After 1895, China lost its influence over Korea because of the First Sino-Japanese War.
Background.
In 1876, Korea established a trade treaty with Japan after Japanese ships approached Ganghwado. Treaty negotiations with several Western countries were made possible by the completion of this initial Japanese overture.
In 1882, the Americans concluded a treaty and established diplomatic relations, which served as a template for subsequent negotiations with other Western powers.
Two weeks after the United States–Korea Treaty of 1882, a military revolt called Imo Incident occurred in Seoul. The soldiers occupied Changdeok Palace, and the Korean government asked for military help from China. The revolt was suppressed by Chinese troops. After the incident, Chinese political influence over Korea started.
Treaty provisions.
The Chinese and Koreans negotiated and approved a multi-article treaty with provisions affecting Korean diplomatic relations with Western nations.
On October 1, 1882, Chinese representatives Li Hongzhang, Zhou Fu, and Ma Jianzhong signed the Sino-Korean Maritime and Overland Trade in Tianjin, China, with Korean representatives Jo Neng-ha, Kim Hong-jip, and Yu Yun-jung. From the outset, both sides established a guiding principle: Korea was a vassal state of China, autonomous but not independent. The Korean side fully agreed with this principle.
The treaty consisted of eight articles and granted the Qing government a series of rights in Korea, including extraterritorial jurisdiction (consular jurisdiction) and customs supervision authority, among others. It even placed the Korean king and the Qing government’s Beiyang minister on an equal footing. However, the preamble of the regulations stated:
"The Regulations for Maritime and Overland Trade signed this time are intended as a demonstration of China’s preferential treatment toward its vassal state. They are not part of the provisions uniformly applied to all treaty nations."
The Joseon-Qing Communication and Commerce Rules sought to mitigate the effects of increased diplomatic intercourse and expanded commercial relations with Western powers. The negotiated agreement caused unintended consequences.
References.
Notes.
 ;templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" / ;
Citations.
 ;templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" / ;
Bibliography.
 ;templatestyles src="Refbegin/styles.css" / ;