'Cao Rulin' (曹汝霖) (1877-August 1966) was Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the
Beiyang Government, and an important member of the pro-Japanese movement in the early 20th century. In 1915, he took
Yuan Shikai's orders and signed the infamous "
Twenty-One Demands" treaty with Japan.
Cao Rulin was part of the Chinese envoy attending the
Paris Peace Conference. At the conference many concessions were made to Japan that were unfavorable to China. This caused a great deal of unrest in China resulting in a student demonstration on
May 4,
1919 in
Tiananmen Square. This was the beginning of the
May 4th Movement.
The demonstration shifted and Cao Rulin's house, at 3 Front Zhaojialou Lane in the East City District, was burned down.
See also
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May 4th Movement
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Twenty-One Demands
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Versailles Treaty
External links
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Front Zhaojialou Lane
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China in 20th Century - Adolescent China