On December 24, 1900, which was the third day of the eleventh month in the lunar calendar, Mr. Ge, the Spanish envoy representing the Chinese government, along with other foreign envoys, formally presented the twelve provisions of the peace agreement to the Chinese plenipotentiary Prince Qing Li Hongzhang. This draft was written in four languages: French, English, German, and Chinese, with French being the authoritative version and Chinese as the translated version. The translated Chinese text is as follows:
In the months of May, June, July, and August of this year, which corresponds to the months of April, May, June, and July of the twenty-sixth year of Guangxu's reign (1900), severe disturbances occurred in northern China, with extremely heinous crimes unprecedented in history. These actions blatantly violated international law and the principles of justice and morality. The following are some particularly serious incidents:
First, on June 20, which was the twenty-fourth day of the fifth month in the lunar calendar, Baron von Ketteler, the German ambassador to China, was killed by Qing officials on his way to the Prime Minister's office.
Second, on the same day, the embassies in Beijing were surrounded and attacked by Qing officials and Boxer rebels acting under imperial orders. It was not until August 14, which was the twentieth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar, that the foreign legations were rescued by the allied forces. Ironically, the Chinese government had assured foreign governments that the embassies would be protected.
Third, on June 11, which was the fifteenth day of the fifth month in the lunar calendar, Secretary Sugiyama of the Japanese legation in China was killed by Qing officials at the city gate while on official business. Additionally, foreign nationals residing in Beijing and various provinces were subjected to brutal killings, abuse, and sieges by Boxer rebels and officials; they managed to survive only by desperately resisting. Their houses were almost all burned down.
Fourth, the graves of foreign nationals in China were desecrated, especially severe in Beijing. The graves were excavated, leaving the bones exposed.
Due to the series of events that occurred earlier, to protect the lives of foreign diplomats and citizens in China and to restore order, countries sent troops. As a result, when the allied forces entered Beijing, they faced resistance from the Chinese army and could only fight back bravely. Later, China expressed remorse, acknowledged its mistakes, and was willing to make amends for the negative consequences of this incident, so the powers agreed to China's request. However, the countries discussed and decided that important, unchangeable terms must be established to prevent future occurrences. Now, I will list these terms:
Article 1: Regarding the murder of German Minister Klind, the Chinese emperor shall send a royal envoy to the German capital to express deep apologies on behalf of China. A monument shall be erected at the site of Klind's murder, matching the specifications of his rank, and the inscription shall be written in Latin, German, and Chinese, expressing the emperor's sorrow over this crime.
Article 2: According to the edict issued on September 25 (the third day of the second month of the Chinese lunar calendar), in the future, those identified by the diplomats of various countries in Beijing as participants in the unrest shall be severely punished according to the severity of their crimes, to honor the victims. Towns where foreign nationals were killed or insulted shall not hold any civil or military examinations for five years.
Article 3: Because Japanese Embassy Secretary Sugiyama Akira was harmed, China must formally apologize to the Japanese government.
Article 4: In areas within China where graves of various countries have been desecrated or excavated, monuments shall be established to symbolize China's commitment to rectify the shame.
Article 5: All individuals and institutions from various countries, as well as Chinese people working for foreigners, who have suffered personal injuries and property damage as a result of these recent events, shall be compensated fairly by China. China must formulate a financial plan acceptable to all countries to ensure how to compensate for all the aforementioned losses and how to repay national debts.
Article 7: Each country must send troops to secure their embassies and take responsibility for their surrounding defense. Chinese nationals are prohibited from living near the embassies.
Article 8: From Beijing to Haikou, a clear and unobstructed route must be maintained. All obstacles to this route, including the Dagu Fort, must be removed.
Article 9: In order to ensure a smooth and unobstructed passage from Beijing to Haikou, countries may decide to station troops for self-defense at several locations.
Article 10: The Chinese government must post notices in all provinces, states, and counties announcing the above two provisions, so that everyone knows, and permanently prohibits any military or civilian hostility towards foreign embassies. Those found guilty will face the death penalty. Those who commit crimes, kill or abuse foreigners, as well as towns where such incidents have occurred, must suspend the imperial examinations. The Chinese emperor must issue an edict to inform provincial governors, military and civil officials, and officials at all levels that they are responsible for maintaining local security. If riots occur again and harm foreigners, or if treaties are violated again, they must be swiftly suppressed and punished. Otherwise, the officials involved will be dismissed and never rehired. No excuses are allowed, and no rewards can be given.
Article 11: All treaties concerning commerce and navigation, as well as other matters related to commerce, can be amended if other countries find it more beneficial, and China is willing to negotiate modifications with them.
Article 12: The General Affairs Office of each country must be reformed, and the protocols for foreign envoys meeting the Chinese emperor should also be revised. The specific changes will be determined by each country, and China agrees to implement them.
If the Chinese government does not fully agree to the demands of other countries, the ministers of those countries should not even consider withdrawing their troops from the Beijing area.
(Mu Ziyao, Ge Kangbisa, Saxige, Deaobi, Rimeifa Yingyi, Japan, Holland, Russia)
(The above is signed in the order of the foreign alphabets)
December 22, 1900 AD
◇Postscript
After receiving the terms, Minister Liu carefully studied the twelve articles and felt that some parts could be negotiated. He added an article himself and then informed the consul of that country. He said: Article Two, regarding the punishment of the principal offenders, generally, royal relatives are not punished; this is a common practice in various countries. The Chinese government agrees to exile those princes to the border, imprison them, and permanently strip them of their titles, with their descendants also prohibited from inheriting. Other officials, except for Yu Xian, who bears the heaviest responsibility and should be executed, will be punished accordingly. However, some of these may be difficult to address for now.
Article Five, regarding the prohibition of transporting military supplies, since China has taken on the responsibility of protecting merchants and missionaries, it cannot avoid purchasing arms to guard against bandits. It would be best to delete this article. If it cannot be deleted, then do not prohibit the supply of arms, but strictly forbid selling to bandits privately. Article Six, regarding reparations, China has long been in a state of financial difficulty; the amount of reparations should be kept reasonable to avoid making it too difficult for China to manage. Article Seven, regarding the number of troops stationed at embassies, should be kept to a minimum to ensure peaceful coexistence between hosts and guests. Article Nine, regarding the deployment of troops by various countries in several locations, should also be kept to a minimum, especially to avoid sowing distrust between soldiers and civilians. Article Eleven, any amendments to the treaty must be handled properly and should not affect the livelihoods of merchants and the interests of China.
I also added an article: Churches in various regions should state that old regulations will not interfere in legal matters and establish specific provisions to find a way to ensure lasting peace. Governor Zhang of Hubei feels that the clause prohibiting the importation of arms is highly inconvenient for China, and it has also altered the protocol for audiences, affecting China's system. He has already sent a telegram requesting amendments and deletions. As for the other clauses, according to Governor Zhang's opinion, it seems they can be negotiated. However, Minister Fu believes that this is an outdated notion from twenty years ago and should not be applied today.
