British cruisers, then also anchored at Port Arthur,
should be withdrawn "in order to avoid friction in the Russian sphere of
influence." They left shortly afterwards, and their departure in the
circumstances was regarded as a blow to Great Britain's prestige in the
Far East. In March the Russian government peremptorily demanded a lease
of Port Arthur and the adjoining anchorage of Talienwan--a demand which
China could not resist without foreign support. After an acrimonious
correspondence with the Russian government Great Britain acquiesced in
the _fait accompli_. The Russian occupation of Port Arthur was
immediately followed by a concession to build a line of railway from
that point northwards to connect with the Siberian trunk line in north
Manchuria. As a counterpoise to the growth of Russian influence in the
north, Great Britain obtained a lease of Wei-hai-wei, and formally took
possession of it on its evacuation by the Japanese troops in May 1898.

"Open door," and "spheres of influence."

After much hesitation the Chinese government had at last resolved to
permit the construction of railways with foreign capital. An influential
official named Sheng Hsuan-hwai was appointed director-general of
railways, and empowered to enter into negotiations with foreign
capitalists for that purpose. A keen competition thereupon ensued
between syndicates of different nationalities, and their claims being
espoused by their various governments, an equally keen international
rivalry was set up. Great Britain, though intimating her preference for
the "open door" policy, meaning equal opportunity for all, yet found
herself compelled to fall in with the general movement towards what
became known as the "spheres of influence" policy, and claimed the
Yangtsze valley as her particular sphere. This she did by the somewhat
negative method of obtaining from the Chinese government a declaration
that no part of the Yangtsze valley should be alienated to any foreign
power. A more formal recognition of the claim, as far as railway
enterprise was concerned, was embodied in an agreement (28th of April
1899) between Great Britain and Russia, and communicated to the Chinese
government, whereby the Russian government agreed not to seek for any
concessions within the Yangtsze valley, including all the provinces
bordering on the great river, together with Cheh-kiang and Ho-nan, the
British government entering into a similar undertaking in regard t