SDHF Newsletter No.442 The Road to the Greater East Asian War No. 45 Ch.11-4

THE ROAD TO THE GREATER EAST ASIAN WAR
Nakamura Akira, Dokkyo University Professor Emeritus
(English Translation: Society for the Dissemination of Historical Fact)
Part 45, Chapter 11: Japan-China Relations on Northen China -4

September 24, 2025

In 1935, Foreign Minister Hirota’s Japan-China Friendship efforts reached a peak with the exchanging of ambassadors. Provocative activity in Hebei and Chahar provinces did put a damper on that groundswell of amity, but Japan’s determination to further improve ties between the two nations never wavered. Efforts in that direction culminated in the proposal of Hirota’s Three Principles. They were a counterproposal to China’s three principles, shown below:

1. Each nation shall respect the other’s independence.
2. Each nation shall support genuine friendship with the other.
3. Disputes between the two nations, without exception, shall be resolved by peaceful. Diplomatic means.

Ambassador Jiang expressed his hope that if adherence to the principles submitted by the Chinese resulted in the two nations’ becoming true friends, both the Umezu-He and Doihara-Qin agreements could be annulled, as they would no longer be needed. Jiang explained that Chiang Kai-shek could not recognize Manzhouguo’s independence, but neither would he lodge a protest in that connection at that time. He added that Chiang was prepared to discuss military cooperation toward the achievement of further “common objectives” if attempts to improve Sino-Japanese relations bore fruit.

Before the Chinese came forth with their three principles, Hirota prepared his three principles after extensive discussion with Army and Navy officials, as follows:

1. Eradication of anti-Japanese activity, be it word or deed (the Chinese shall eliminate all types of anti-Japanese activity and abandon their habit of pitting other Powers against Japan)
2. Tacit recognition of Manzhouguo (the Chinese shall acknowledge the independence of Manzhouguo and revoke their anti-Manzhouguo policies)
3. Collaboration to prevent the encroachment of communism (the Chinese shall cooperate with Japan to prevent the encroachment of communism into the area adjacent to Outer Mongolia)

Japan and China continued to negotiate. But the Japanese saw China’s insistence on equality in the relations between the two nations as a stumbling block, since China included demands for the abrogation of all unequal treaties, which strongly resembled its revolutionary diplomacy of the past. It seemed as though negotiations had reached an impasse.

Moreover, the pro-Japanese efforts by Wang Jingwei and others fueled opposition to Wang and on November 1, 1935, during the 6th Plenary Session of the Guomindang’s Fourth Central Executive Committee, he was shot and seriously injured. Wang resigned from his positions as president of the Executive Yuan and foreign minister. These and other developments caused Hirota’s Three Principles to slowly lose their relevance.

URL: 　https://www.sdh-fact.com/book-article/2377
PDF: 　 https://www.sdh-fact.com/CL/Road45E.pdf

Moteki Hiromichi, Chairman
Society for the Dissemination of Historical Fact