Time Slip Reiwa Japan

097 - China Upheaval - 16

Japan, whose tanker had been damaged in the Battle of the Bohai Sea, was more enraged than the US which failed in its escort. Since it was a wartime situation, insurance for maritime accidents was not applicable, and Japanese sailors were also injured, so it was reasonable that retaliatory sentiments against China, which perpetrated a despicable attack, surged in Japan's domestic public opinion.

Some criticism arose from opposition parties and the media, attributing Japan's cooperation with the United States in the war as the cause, but it did not gain much traction. Nevertheless, the Japanese government did not cater to public opinion advocating for sanctions (the use of force) against China. Recognizing that accommodating warmongering views in public opinion would lead down the path to war (the Road to the Greater East Asia War), the government was determined.

Japan had finally begun to climb the slope of prosperity after economic turmoil due to the time slip. In such circumstances, the Japanese government was determined to avoid war, which was a waste of human lives, resources, and finances, as much as possible. However, as politicians (engaged in a popular business like the yakuza), they couldn't completely ignore public opinion.

Therefore, they chose to accuse China of clear violations of international law—specifically, the issue of non-display of naval flags on military vessels—while using government-affiliated think tanks to calm public opinion, which helped dampen radical opinions, even those advocating bombing China. However, even if radical public opinion had completely subsided, the Japanese government had no intention of condoning China's violations of international law. Even in wartime, attacking civilian ships of neutral countries with military flags not raised was unacceptable.

Ignoring this lawlessness might eventually lead to operations such as indiscriminate unrestricted commerce destruction by special cruisers (armed merchant ships) under the pretext of "it's wartime." Or worse, facing indiscriminate attacks like scattering floating mines in the Bohai Sea (poor man's tactic) could jeopardize Japan's security. These seeds that could lead to such atrocities must be cut off as soon as possible.

Through the embassy in the Free City of Shanghai, Japan strongly demanded China to investigate the cause and the person responsible for the violations of international law as the flag state of the affected ships, and to establish measures to punish the responsible parties and prevent recurrence. Moreover, if this demand was not met, Japan had mentioned the possibility of implementing its own measures for improving the situation.

China panicked.

While understanding that Japan was the one behind (as in supporting) the United States, they hadn't expected Japan to be so blunt about it. China's societal structure, which can hardly be called a rule of law country, had a low awareness or priority for complying with international law. Hence, even regarding the hoisting of naval flags during combat, they only had a perception of it as a strategy to gain an advantage in combat. Therefore, China strongly opposed Japan's demands, considering them as imperialistic and greedy interference. Negotiations between Japan and China over several days reached a complete deadlock and ended in failure.

As a result, Japan took action to improve the situation. Firstly, they decided to utilize the League of Nations. They raised the condemnation of China's uncivilized actions and prevention of recurrence at the League of Nations Security Council. China, fearing an immediate military intervention from Japan, was taken aback by this response, and at the same time, unlike Japan, they remembered that Japan had never initiated war itself, being a country that only engages in defensive wars. *1

Moreover, they had declared the abandonment of war (the use of force) as a means to resolve interstate issues. It was no wonder that China thought Japan as a neutered country incapable of mustering determination to wage war itself.