Why does Li Hongzhang say that everything he does is "paper tigers"?

After the defeat of the Sino-Japanese War, Li Hongzhang reflected sadly: "What I have done all my life, including military training and the navy, are paper tigers. How can I really let it go? The unveiling can be done perfunctorily, just like a broken house, which has been patched up here and there by a paper poster, and turned into a clean room. It is clear that it is paper and paper, but it is not clear what kind of materials are inside. Holes can be repaired at any time, but they can be easily torn open, and no repair materials or transformation methods have been prepared. Naturally, the truth will be revealed and cannot be dealt with, but how can the paper-pasting craftsman take responsibility for it? ?"

In fact, this is basically Li Hongzhang's remarks to defend his failure in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894. The "paper tiger" refers to the Beiyang Navy. "Broken House" refers to the Beiyang Fleet. "Paperer" refers to himself. Due to the lack of funds and the lack of attention from the Qing government, the Beiyang Navy was actually similar to what he said and could not form combat effectiveness at all. For example, many artillery shells are completely filled with coal and have no effect even if they hit the target. . . Li Hongzhang must have known about this situation, but there was nothing he could do about it.