This was because Shandong Province of which Weihaiwei was part of, was inside Germany's (and later Japan's) sphere of influence and had only been obtained as a counterbalance to the Russian presence at Port Arthur 130 kilometres across the sea in Manchuria.
This was because Shandong Province, of which Weihaiwei was part, was inside Germany's (and later Japan's) sphere of influence. Weihaiwei had only been occupied by the British as a counterbalance to the Russian presence at Port Arthur 130 kilometres across the sea in Manchuria.