This was because they thought that if the Qing dynasty would learn and abide by international law, it would be possible to make negotiation smooth and stabilized without using large-scale gunboat diplomacy again.
清朝が国際法を学び遵守するのであれば、再度大規模な砲艦外交に頼らずに交渉のスムーズ化と安定化を図れると考えたためである。