Lüshunkou District in the context of "Dalian"

In the field of international relations, a sphere of influence (SOI) is a spatial region or concept division over which a state or organization has a level of cultural, economic, military, or political exclusivity.

While there may be a formal alliance or other treaty obligations between the influenced and influencer, such formal arrangements are not necessary and the influence can often be more of an example of soft power. Similarly, a formal alliance does not necessarily mean that one country lies within another's sphere of influence. High levels of exclusivity have historically been associated with higher levels of conflict.

Lüshun Port (Chinese: 旅顺港; pinyin: Lǚshùn gǎng), formerly Port Arthur (Russian: Порт-Артур, romanized: Port-Artur), in Lüshunkou District, Dalian, Liaoning province, China can refer to the original Lüshun Naval Port (Chinese: 旅顺军港) for military use or the New Lüshun Port (Chinese: 旅顺新港) for commercial use.

It is now home to the People's Liberation Army Navy's (PLAN) Liaonan Shipyard, in operation since 1883.

39°N 124°E / 39°N 124°E / 39; 124

Korea(n) Bay, sometimes West Korea(n) Bay (Chinese: 西朝鲜湾; pinyin: Xīcháoxiǎnwān; Korean: 서조선만 or 서한만; Hanja: 西朝鮮灣 or 西韓灣; Korean pronunciation: [sʰʌdʑosʰʌn.man] or [sʰʌhan.man]), is a bight and the northern extension of the Yellow Sea, between the southeastern coastline of China's Liaoning Province and the western coastline of North Korea's North Pyongan, South Pyongan and South Hwanghae provinces. It is separated from the Bohai Sea by the Liaodong Peninsula, with Dalian's Lüshunkou District marking its western end, and westernmost tip of North Korea's Ryongyon County as its eastern end.

Liaodong Bay is largest and longest of the three main bays of the Bohai Sea, the innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea. The other two bays are Laizhou Bay to the south and Bohai Bay to the southwest.

Although named after the Liaodong Peninsula (which forms its eastern shore), the bay is located directly south of the Liaoxi region, almost entirely west of the Liao River. It is bounded by the coastline of cities from southern Liaoning province (Dalian, Yingkou, Panjin, Jinzhou and Huludao) and eastern Hebei province (Qinhuangdao and Tangshan), between the Laotieshan Cape at Dalian's Lüshunkou District in the east, and the Daqing River estuary (which is an old southern mouth of Luan River) at Tangshan's Laoting County in the west. The bay is a source of ecological importance and exhibits rich biodiversity.

The Port Arthur massacre (Chinese: 旅順大屠殺) took place during the First Sino-Japanese War from 21 November 1894 for three days, in the Chinese coastal city of Port Arthur (now Lüshunkou District of Dalian, Liaoning), when advance elements of the First Division of the Japanese Second Army under the command of General Yamaji Motoharu (1841–1897) killed somewhere between 2,600 civilians and 20,000 people including Chinese soldiers, although one eyewitness reporter estimated a total death toll of 60,000, including civilians, soldiers, and residents of the outlying rural district.

Reports of a massacre were first published by the Canadian journalist James Creelman of the New York World, whose account was widely circulated within the United States. In 1894, the State Department ordered its ambassador to Japan, Edwin Dun, to conduct an independent investigation of Creelman's reports.

The siege of Port Arthur (Japanese: 旅順攻囲戦, Ryojun Kōisen; Russian: Оборона Порт-Артура, Oborona Port-Artura, August 1, 1904 – January 2, 1905) was the longest and most violent land battle of the Russo-Japanese War.

Port Arthur, the deep-water port and Russian naval base at the tip of the Liaodong Peninsula in Manchuria, had been widely regarded as one of the most strongly fortified positions in the world. However, during the First Sino-Japanese War, General Nogi Maresuke had taken the city from the forces of Qing China in only a few days. The ease of his victory during the previous conflict, and overconfidence by the Japanese General Staff in its ability to overcome improved Russian fortifications, led to a much longer campaign and far greater losses than expected.