Time Slip Reiwa Japan

098 - China Upheaval - 17

Three demands from Japan – a reason they could accept, the head of the responsible party, and appropriate compensation – none of these were things that China could easily accept. Speaking of the leader of the unit responsible, the one who actually devised the plan had already perished along with the torpedo boats. However, while it may be easy to arbitrarily designate someone as responsible, doing so would ultimately undermine the morale of the naval forces, and by extension, the entire military. It was not something that could be done during wartime.

The compensation that seemed the easiest was impossible due to its amount.

The amount claimed by Japan was equal to China's annual military expenditure.

China, feeling that this was an excessive demand, demanded a reduction in the amount, but Japan refused. *1

And then, there was the reason. They could only explain it as being for the sake of gaining an advantage in the battle, and they conveyed this to Japan, but they couldn't accept it as a reason. If they were to prepare further reasons, it would be the same story as with the head of the responsible unit. China would have to negate its policy towards the United States and the war itself.

Even without considering the wartime situation, China had been inciting anti-American and anti-foreign sentiments to a level that could be described as decade-long. To deny this now would likely result in Chinese government officials being hanged by the people. It was simply impossible.

With no way out, China desperately began diplomatic negotiations with the member countries of the League of Nations. The goal was to prevent Japan's retaliation rights from being recognized at the League of Nations General Assembly. While various means (including bribery) were used to create a diplomatic arena between nations, the subsequent responses were not promising. Not a single country promised to listen to China's demands and act at the League of Nations General Assembly. Even the Soviet Union, which China considered relatively friendly, only listened to China's claims. There were diplomats who at least listened to China's claims without recording them, and there were even diplomats who left as soon as the greetings were exchanged as if the matter were settled. *2

The reason China received such treatment was not because the countries it chose as diplomatic partners sided with Japan. It was simply the result of China repeatedly disrespecting the League of Nations and diplomacy. They had ridiculed resolutions at the League of Nations General Assembly, recognized the international community and foreign countries as mere tools to be used to their advantage, and acted accordingly. What goes around comes around.

China was confronted with this reality.

Before the war with the United States broke out, they should have realized when their propaganda (information warfare) in America failed. The failure of the propaganda was not due to its content being sloppy or the budget being insufficient, but simply because there was existing animosity towards China. China, which had regarded itself as the world's foremost historical power, the great power of the center of the world, finally understood that it was hated by the world.

The Chinese Ambassador to Switzerland received a personal warning from a Swiss acquaintance.

China, without recognizing its own national strength, withdrew from the League of Nations, an organization that resisted the great powers (based on the theory that the few cannot resist the many), and stood alone against the great powers (the Anglo-Japanese), was being ridiculed as stupid (uncivilized).

Chiang Kai-shek, who had been informed of all the diplomatic achievements in Switzerland, including this advice, quietly drank his old liquor that night.

. . .

China

Having understood the desperate situation it was in, China did not give up on negotiations with Japan. They still possessed enough judgment to conclude that it would be madness to engage in war with Japan when they were already at war with the United States.