Write short notes on Twenty one demands.

The Twenty-One Demands were a set of diplomatic requests presented by Imperial Japan to the Republic of China in 1915, during the early stages of World War I. The demands aimed at increasing Japanese influence and control over China, capitalizing on China's weakened state amid the global conflict. The demands covered a range of economic, political, and territorial concessions.

The demands included provisions for Japan to obtain economic privileges in key Chinese industries, control over Chinese police and political appointments, and the establishment of a Japanese-controlled railway in southern Manchuria. Additionally, Japan sought territorial concessions in Shandong Province, where German concessions were located.

Under intense pressure and fearing military intervention, the Chinese government, led by President Yuan Shikai, reluctantly accepted the initial set of demands in 1915. This acceptance sparked domestic and international criticism. However, Japan later withdrew some of the more extreme demands due to diplomatic pressures from the Western powers and the United States. The aftermath of the Twenty-One Demands further strained Sino-Japanese relations and contributed to the anti-Japanese sentiments that persisted in China in the following decades.