In November 1911 the revolutionary group in the Wuchang District of Wuhan, China, led by Li Yuanhong came together with the revolutionary group in Shanghai led by Chen Qimei and Cheng Dequan (程德全) to prepare for the establishment of a new central government.

The representatives decided to frame the organizational outline of the Provisional Government, and they elected Lei Fen (雷奮), Ma Junwu, and Wang Zhengting (王正廷) to prepare the draft.

It was announced that the provincial representatives would meet in Nanjing in seven days to elect a provisional government.

[2] On December 25, Sun Yat-sen, accompanied by general Homer Lea, his closest foreign adviser, returned to Shanghai.

45 representatives from seventeen provinces participated in this election, and Sun Yat-sen received 16 valid votes out of 17.

By making Yuan the president of the southern Nanjing-based provisional government, he would have to give up his military power base in the north.

Yuan Shikai, the Premier of the Qing government, negotiated with the revolutionaries in exchange of the post of the president.