oposed a union
between herself and China for the purpose of restoring order in Korea
and amending that country's administration. China refused. She even
expressed supercilious surprise that Japan, while asserting Korea's
independence, should suggest the idea of peremptorily reforming its
administration. The Tokyo Cabinet now announced that the Japanese
troops should not be withdrawn without "some understanding that would
guarantee the future peace, order, and good government of Korea," and
as China still refused to come to such an understanding, Japan
undertook the work single-handed.

The Tonghak rebellion, which Chinese troops were originally sent to
quell, had died of inanition before they landed. The troops,
therefore, had been withdrawn. But China kept them in Korea, her
avowed reason being the presence of the Japanese military force near
Seoul. In these circumstances, Peking was notified that a despatch of
re-enforcements on China's side must be construed as an act of
hostility. Notwithstanding this notice, China not only sent a further
body of troops by sea to encamp at Asan, but also despatched an army
overland across the Yalu. These proceedings precipitated hostilities.
Three Chinese warships, convoying a transport with twelve hundred
soldiers on board, met and opened fire on two Japanese cruisers. The
result was signal. One of the Chinese warships was captured, another
was so riddled with shot that she had to be beached and abandoned;
the third escaped in a dilapidated condition, and the transport,
refusing to surrender, was sent to the bottom. These things happened
on the 25th of July, 1894, and war was declared by each empire six
days subsequently.

The Japanese took the initiative. They despatched from Seoul a column
of troops and routed the Chinese entrenched at Asan, many of whom
fled northward to Pyong-yang, a town on the Tadong River, memorable
as the scene of a battle between a Chinese and a Japanese army in
1592. Pyong-yang offered great facilities for defence. The Chinese
massed there a force of seventeen thousand men, and made preparations
for a decisive contest, building parapets, mounting guns, and
strengthening the position by every device of modern warfare. Their
infantry had the advantage of being armed with repeating rifles, and
the configuration of the ground offered little cover for an attacking
army. Against this strong position the Japanese moved in two columns;
one marching northward f