Answer: China had decided not to modernize and industrialize
Explanation:
The Sino-Japanese War (the first one, carried out between 1894 and 1895), was a conflict between Japan and China for the supremacy over Korea (which for a long time was the most important client state for China). This war meant the rise of Japan as a great world power by showing the weakness of the Chinese empire (specifically the Qing dynasty).
The war was formally declared on August 1, 1894, with favorable predictions for China by foreign observers, because China had more people to fight. However, the Japanese surprised to be better equipped and prepared, after having successfully modernized.
That is why after more than six months of uninterrupted successes by Japanese land and naval forces and the loss of the Weihaiwei port by China, the Qing government sued for peace in February 1895.
