User:PaintWoodSt/Draft1
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The Debate on Maritime Defence and Frontier Defence took place in China in the 1870s, when the Russian invasion of Xinjiang and Japanese invasion of Taiwan happened at the same time.[1][2] During the Dungan Revolt, Muslims revolted across western China, which led to widespread religious and racial conflicts across the region. Amid the revolt, the Khanate of Kokand invaded Xinjiang in 1864. However, Yaqub Beg, the military leader of the invasion soon controlled Xinjiang and declared independence of Yettishar from Kokand, as Russia conquered Kokand in 1864 and continued to invade Xinjiang in 1871. In 1872, Japan launched a punitive expedition in Taiwan for the murder of 54 Ryukyuan sailors by Paiwan aborigines, which led to a diplomatic conflict between China and Japan.
With the resolution of Dungan Revolt in most parts of China, whether China should continue reconquered Xinjiang amid Japanese invasion of Taiwan became a controversial topic. Li Hongzhang, then governor of Zhili, and his colleagues, argued for prioritisation of maritime defence against Japanese invasion, while Zuo Zongtang, then governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, and his colleagues favoured reconquest of Xinjiang. As a result of the debate, China continued to reconquer and set up a new province in Xinjiang, while its naval forces were strengthen to protect the interests in the coast, including Taiwan.[1][3]
Since Japanese invasion of China in the 1930s, the debate became of significant research interest, as it was used to explain and support different strategies in the war. Thus, it was interpreted as a conflict between the Huai Army and Xiang Army and between patriotism and treason.[4] The debate continues today to either support of oppose China's strategic priority in defence policy.[3][5]