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Interaction Between Japanese Zaibatsu and Aggressive Policies Toward China: Centered on the Japan-China Industrial Association (1915–1930)

Author(s)

Youqing Wang*

Affiliation(s)

School of Marxism, Guizhou University of Finance and Economics, Guiyang, Guizhou, China *Corresponding author.

Abstract

The Japan-China Industrial Association (JCIA), representing the interests of zaibatsu such as Mitsui and Mitsubishi, used the pretext of "Japan-China friendship" to counter the 1923 anti-Japanese goods boycott by establishing countermeasure organizations, inciting public opinion, and pressuring the Japanese government for military intervention, ultimately suppressing Chinese resistance. On the issue of Chinese tariff autonomy, the JCIA drafted opinion papers and lobbied diplomatic representatives to force China into accepting low tariffs and reciprocal agreements, delaying the recovery of tariff sovereignty. Amid China’s political changes, the JCIA frequently interfered in the Northern Expedition, advocating military intervention to protect Japanese interests in China and playing a key role in promoting the "military self-defense" policy at the Eastern Conference. The Japan-China Industrial Association was not only a platform for coordinating the economic interests of zaibatsu but also a civilian incubator for Japan’s aggressive policies toward China. Its actions accelerated Japan’s shift from economic exploitation to military expansion, laying the groundwork for the full-scale invasion of China.

Keywords

Japanese Zaibatsu; Japan-China Industrial Association; Boycott of Japanese Goods; Tariff Autonomy

References

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