Theory of Sino–Japanese Coexistence: Japanese Civilian Foreign Policy Propaganda Before and After the Washington Conference, 1919–29

Abstract

After the First World War, to cope with the constraints of the Versailles-Washington system, Japan proposed a so-called coordinated foreign policy aimed at maintaining cooperative relations with Britain and especially the United States and expanding Japan’s interests and privileges in China on the basis of respecting China’s sovereignty. At that time, the Japanese people also participated in the publicity of the country’s external actions. This paper examines the activities of the East Asian Association of Tongwen in China, which is Japan’s oldest nongovernmental organization in China. Because the organization believes that the key to the success of coordination diplomacy lies in obtaining sympathy and support from China, it puts forward an argument based on ‘Japan and China coexist’, publicizes Japan’s policy toward China, and tries to form a favorable public opinion for Japan. Based on the analysis of the content of this propaganda activity in the political process, this paper points out that its propaganda only starts from the standpoint of the government and proposes the essence of the content that is only beneficial to Japan. The conclusion of the analysis is that the argument based on the very utilitarian position has greatly weakened the role of policy propaganda, but it is extremely helpful to understand the characteristics of Japanese diplomacy at that time.