How did Russia gain railway and leasehold rights in Manchuria in 1898?
In March 1898, Russia secured control over the Liaodong Peninsula and expanded its railway rights in Manchuria through a policy of coercion. Having previously forced Japan to return the peninsula to China following the Sino-Japanese War, Russia occupied the ports of Port Arthur (Lüshun) and Dairen (Dalian) and compelled the Chinese government to grant them a leasehold over these areas.123
As part of this agreement, Russia obtained the right to construct the South Manchurian Railway, a branch line designed to connect these southern ports to the Chinese Eastern Railway at the junction of Harbin. These actions were part of a broader period of imperialist encroachment in China, where various foreign powers vied for spheres of influence, placing the Qing dynasty on the brink of partition.432