Chinese government engaging French experts for modernizing nava arsenal at Futschao according to the magazine Mitteilungen aus dem Gebiete des Seewesens 1896 no. 11

An item reported that China engaged at the naval arsenal at Futschao, China 3 French engineers and 10 labourers who were to fit out the arsenal for the building of a fast cruiser with a maximum displacement of 4.000 ton and which was there also to be armoured. The Chinese cabinet intended to let larger warships to be built abroad.