It has been argued that acts committed against people subject to Japanese sovereignty cannot be considered "war crimes". The issue of Japan's "de facto" or "de jure" sovereignty over places such as Ryukyu (1879–1945), Taiwan (1895–1945), and Korea (1910–1945) prior to 1945, is a matter of controversy. Japanese control was accepted and recognized internationally and was justified by instruments such as the Treaty of Shimonoseki (1895, which included China's cession of Taiwan) and the Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty (1910). The legality of the Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty, in particular, is in question because it was not signed by the Korean head of state; it was signed by government ministers. The native populations were not consulted on the changes in sovereignty, nor was there universal acceptance of such annexations. There was ongoing resistance to Japanese invasions and — in any case — war crimes may also be committed during civil wars. (See Korea under Japanese rule and Taiwan under Japanese rule for further details.)