With no conclusions coming from the talks, a Chinese student in France, Li Shih-tseng, along with the dean of Peking University, Ts'ai Yuan-p'ei, and a reporter from the journal Su Pao, Wu Chih-hui, raised the suggestion that the indemnity be used for the purpose of education by establishing a Chinese university in France for the education of Chinese students overseas.
在雙方談判未果時，中國早期留法學生李石曾、當時北京大學校長蔡元培及「蘇報」記者吳稚暉等人，提議將賠款用於教育，在法國建立一所中國大學以培養中國留學生。