Well, it's true that Japan's defeat of Russia had a tremendous impact on Asia's independence movements from our British India to French Vietnam (Indo China) to American Philippines etc, before that Asia's nationalist /independence activists replied merely on ideas, but japans defeat of a European/western major power showed Asians that the west wasnt invisible and galvanised Asian independence activists and many started recording to violence to achieve their aims.
Just like sun yat tsen said I quote :
"In former days, the colored races in Asia, suffering from the oppression of the Western peoples, thought that emancipation was impossible. We regarded that Russian defeat by Japan as the defeat of the West by the East. We regarded the Japanese victory as our own victory. It was indeed a happy event. Did not therefore this news of Russia's defeat by Japan affect the peoples of the whole of Asia? Was not its effect tremendous? While it may not have seemed so important and consequently have had only a slight effect on the peoples living in East Asia, it had a great effect on the peoples living in West Asia and in the neighborhood of Europe who were in constant touch with Europeans and subject to their oppression daily. The suffering of these Asiatic peoples was naturally greater than that of those living in the further East, and they were therefore more quick to respond to the news of this great victory.
Since the day of Japan's victory over Russia, the peoples of Asia have cherished the hope of shaking off the yoke of European oppression, a hope which has given rise to a series or independence movements-in Egypt, Persia, Turkey, Afghanistan, and finally in India. Therefore, Japan's defeat of Russia gave rise to a great hope for the independence of Asia. From the inception of this hope to the present day only 20 years have elapsed. The Egyptian, Turkish, Persian, Afghan, and Arabian independence movements have already materialized, and even the independence movement in India has, with the passage of time, been gaining ground. Such facts are concrete proofs of the progress of the nationalist idea in Asia. Until this idea reaches its full maturity, no unification or independence movement of the Asiatic peoples as a whole is possible. In East Asia, China and Japan are the two greatest peoples. China and Japan are the driving force of this nationalist movement. What will be the consequences of this driving force still remains to be seen. The present tide of events seems to indicate that not only China and Japan but all the peoples in East Asia will unite together to restore the former status of Asia."
-Sun Yatsen, founder of modern China
Also we shouldn't forget that Russia's rule over Manchuria was brutal, in which Russia massacred several Chinese civilians, men, children and women, which led to many Chinese to take up arms against Russians in Manchuria, these Chinese regarded as bandits will later on fight along side Japan during the 1905 Russo -Japanese war. one of the few times China actually cooperated with Japan against a foreign power. Lool
What was the impact of Japan's victory over Russia in the Russo-Japanese War of 1905? - Quora
Russia has always been an expansionists power, funny to see some Chinese here thinking Russia today is a peaceful non aggressive nation who is being bullied by the west.
the only difference today is that Russia is weaker today, so it can't act like it wants like before, not because it doesnt want to