The Enlistment of Foreign Diplomatic Support?R.F.Johnston and"Pu Yi's Foreign Tour Scheme"
In 1919,an English man R.F.Johnston became the English tutor of Ex-emperor Puyi through the recommendation of a former Qing Dynasty mandarin Li Ching-mai.This educational plan concerned a so-called"Pu Yi's Foreign Tour Scheme",which was rarely attracted the attention of academic circles in the past.Essentially,Johnston was destined as the middleman by Li Ching-mai and other monarchists to enlist British government's support in restoring Pu Yi back to the throne as a constitutional ruler of China.However,although the British authorities actively monopolized the position of English tutor for the purpose of maintaining British prestige in China,they did not accept Pu Yi's travelling abroad under the title of Emperor to forestall any diplomatic disputes.Sided with the British,Johnston advised Pu Yi to mitigate the contradiction between monarchy and republic through taking up residence at the Summer Palace and also proactively giving up favorable treatment.Not only were these views rejected by the aristocrat and officials of Qing court who were stubbornly holding onto the favorable treatment and persisting on Pu Yi's remaining in the palace,they also left the behind-the-scene employer Li Ching-mai in a difficult position."Pu Yi's Foreign Tour Scheme"in the end turned out to be unrecognizable.
R.F.JohnstonPu YiLi Ching-mai"Foreign Tour Scheme"
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