Editing Li Hongzhang (section)

===As Viceroy of Zhili===
After the suppression of the [[Taiping Rebellion]] in 1864, Li assumed a civil office as the [[Grand coordinator and provincial governor|''xunfu'']] of [[Jiangsu|Jiangsu Province]] for about two years. However, on the outbreak of the [[Nian Rebellion]] in [[Henan]] and [[Shandong]] provinces in 1866, he was ordered to lead troops into battle again. After some misadventures, Li managed to suppress the movement. In recognition of his contributions, he was appointed as [[Grand Secretariat|Assistant Grand Secretary]] ({{lang|zh-hant|協辦大學士}}).

In 1867, Li was appointed as the [[Viceroy of Huguang]], where he remained until 1870, when the [[Tianjin Massacre]] necessitated his transfer to [[Tianjin]] to handle the diplomatic crisis with the French. He was given the concurrent appointments as Viceroy of [[Zhili|Zhili Province]] and Beiyang Trade Minister ({{lang|zh-hant|北洋通商大臣}}) to oversee various issues in Zhili, [[Shandong]] and [[Liaoning|Fengtian]] provinces, including trade, tariffs, diplomacy, coastal defence, and [[Self-Strengthening Movement|modernisation]]. He was also conferred the honorary position of "Grand Secretary of Wenhua Hall" ({{lang|zh-hant|文華殿大學士}}).

From the time he became Viceroy of Zhili and Beiyang Trade Minister until his death, with a few intervals of retirement, he shaped the Qing Empire's foreign policy to a large extent. In 1876, he signed the [[Chefoo Convention|Yantai Treaty]] with [[Thomas Francis Wade|Sir Thomas Wade]] to end a diplomatic crisis with Britain caused by the murder of [[Augustus Raymond Margary]] in [[Yunnan|Yunnan Province]]. He also arranged treaties with Peru and the [[Convention of Tientsin|Tianjin Convention]] with Japan, and directed Chinese foreign policy in Korea. Among Li's projects to open China to the world on Chinese terms was support for the [[Chinese Educational Mission]], which sent Chinese boys to the United States for education, starting in 1872. The mission was aborted in 1881.{{sfnb|Chisholm|1911|p=681}}

On the death of the [[Tongzhi Emperor]] in 1875, Li introduced a large army into the capital and effected a coup which placed the [[Guangxu Emperor]] on the throne under the regency of the Empress Dowagers [[Empress Dowager Ci'an|Ci'an]] and [[Empress Dowager Cixi|Cixi]]. In 1879, Li was awarded the honorary appointment [[Three Ducal Ministers|Crown Prince's Grand Tutor]] ({{lang|zh-hant|太子太傅}}).

In 1886, on the conclusion of the [[Sino-French War]], Li arranged a treaty with the French. Li was impressed with the necessity of strengthening the Qing Empire, and while he was Viceroy of Zhili, he raised a large well-drilled and well-armed force, and spent vast sums both in fortifying [[Lüshunkou|Port Arthur]] and the [[Taku forts|Dagu forts]] and in strengthening the navy. For years, he had watched the successful reforms effected in Japan and had a well-founded dread of coming into conflict with the Japanese.{{sfnb|Chisholm|1911|p=681}}