Time Slip Reiwa Japan

119 - Winds in Central Asia - 1

The Japanese government had no reaction other than astonishment regarding the war between the United States and China. From the perspective of the partition of China, there was a desire to support it, but considering the historical background—since the time of the sale of Manchurian rights, it had been clear that nothing good would come out of it. Yet, this is what has happened. It was appropriate for the Japanese government to be astonished.

Furthermore, there were criticisms from some remnants of the traditional (liberal faction) opposition parties that the Japanese government was not actively trying to stop the bilateral war because it was aiming for special wartime demand-driven profits.

From the standpoint of the Japanese government, such speculations were excessive. While supplies such as the ML series *1 of automobiles and provisions (military rations and luxury goods) were provided, the profit margins in terms of price were generally modest. Moreover, it was understood that once the war ended, the demand (bubble) would disappear. Relying on such a level of demand was not deemed unhealthy by either the Japanese government or corporations. *2

What Japan valued more in the Far East was the issue of the outflow of Chinese people.

Chinese people already boasted a population of 400 million. If even 1% were to leave the country to avoid war, it would result in a mass movement of 4 million people. It was not a matter that could be lightly dismissed as something to be accepted based on humanitarian grounds. With information from before the time slip—Japan, which had not forgotten the refugee issues in the Middle East and Africa, did not underestimate the current situation.

The influx into the Japanese Federation would be difficult due to the presence of seas and the Frontier Republic between Japan and China. However, it was evident that if they were to come to the newly independent but weakly grounded countries such as the East Turkestan Republic or Tibet in the process of independence, it would lead to significant problems. Japan expected these two countries to serve as anti-China bases, and therefore, disturbances caused by the influx of Chinese people and the expansion of Chinese influence due to the increasing Chinese population were not acceptable. Therefore, Japan decided to strengthen its interference.

. . .

East Turkestan Republic

The East Turkestan Republic, which was in the process of establishing itself as a nation, had reached a stage where ethnic consciousness was burgeoning, so there was a risk of provoking emotional backlash from the general populace through excessive interference. Therefore, what Japan did was propaganda efforts aimed at defending the national character of the East Turkestan Republic and financial support to radical nationalist factions, with support focusing on these two pillars. The aim was to instill a sense of pride in the Uyghur people, fostering a consciousness of not being under Chinese control and striving for autonomous independence. Additionally, concerning the supply of weapons contributing to national defense, it was consolidated under the New Emerging Nations' Self-Defense Program, with permission for the purchase of the ML series and low-interest loans provided through government development assistance (ODA).

However, it wasn't decided easily. While maintaining independence was crucial, there were concerns raised by moderate Uyghur factions that if relations with Japan were deepened too much, there was a risk of falling into a decisive confrontation with China.

Moreover, there were opposition voices within Japan as well. Given the geographical location and the fact that Japan didn't have complete control, there were concerns that the ML series provided could be leaked overseas by undesirables within the East Turkestan Republic, posing a risk of enemy nations (Germany or the Soviet Union) grasping Japanese technology.