The China White Paper 1949(IV)

In the few yeas leading to the end of the first decade of the 20th century, Russia and Japan continued to advance their interests in Manchuria in the form of building railways. In an effort to ensure the trade interest in China was not adversely affected, the US suggested that these railways should be open to international investment funds. Great Britain and Germany supported the proposals, but was objected strongly by both Russia and Japan. This American suggestion even had a negative effect of drawing Russia and Japan together to defend their interests in Manchuria.1 When WWI broke out in 1914, China on August 3, 1914 tried to seek US assistance to prevent the world war from spreading to China and turned it into a battle zone because Germany and Japan had entered the War, while China at that time was a neutral country. During this troubling time, Japan in early 1915 secretly presented to China the Twenty-One Demands to seek exclusive rights in the Yangtze valley, and also to control China's social and political institutions. Upon hearing that, the US on March 13, 1915, among other things, told Japan that the US "could not regard with indifference the assumption of political, military or economic domination over China by a foreign Power" on grounds that it could exclude Americans from equal participation in the development of China.2 However, this pressure from the US on Japan had not much effect. Japan continued to pressurize China to enter in an agreement by sending out an an ultimatum to China with the implication of using military force. Japan was successful in getting what it wanted, although some extreme demands had been dropped.3 (to be continued)


Notes:
1. United States, Department of State. The China White Paper-August 1949. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 1967, page 6.
2. page 7.
3. page 8.