What Li Hongzhang did was also created by the times. He is ambitious. After the Opium War broke out, he realized the gap between China and Japan and took the initiative to ask him to learn from the West like Japan. Besides, he did take action. He was the leader of the Westernization Movement. He not only set up some institutions, but also played a leading role in education, economy and especially in the preparation of the navy. But when it comes to his "humiliation", it may be that Chinese people think that he "signed" the treaty on behalf of China, but even if the person sent to sign the treaty at that time was not Li Hongzhang, someone else would sign it. If so, I'm afraid the people of China are another person. Li Hongzhang only admitted the fact that the Qing Dynasty was defeated. Of course, Li Hongzhang also has his limitations. In the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, "protecting the ship and avoiding the war" was his consistent strategy. In the Westernization Movement, although he studied the West at home, he adopted a "peace" attitude abroad. Don't forget the social nature of China at that time.
Besides, as a woman, Cixi has seen her ability to monopolize power for nearly half a century. History textbooks rarely mention Cixi, perhaps because history itself did not give her a good evaluation, and there were diplomats like Li Hongzhang, so there are many commendable places in modern China. Cixi, almost like the martial arts drama in TV series, is dominated by power. The struggle with Emperor Guangxu was fierce. She was afraid that the powers would support Guangxu, so that Guangxu would have a chance to seize her power. Therefore, many times, the starting point for her to measure interests is often related to Guangxu's power, such as the Reform Movement of 1898. She is indeed a malicious character, but she still needs to contact the actual situation at that time. Take the navy for example. During the six years from the establishment of the navy in 1888 to the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War in 1894, the navy did not acquire a new warship, which was a fatal blow to China's navy, which lacked operational experience. Therefore, when the war really broke out, China's naval strength was very weak, and its weapons and equipment were very weak.
I hope it will help you understand, thank you.
Ps: The recommendation upstairs is good. You can watch related books or TV, such as "Going to * * *" and "Describing historical facts is true, and there are always discrepancies. When Li Hongzhang went to Japan to sign a contract, there was a detailed description ~ ~