The 'Pact of Alliance Between Japan and the Republic of China concluded today, establishing as it does the basis of new relations of an epochal nature between Japan and China, is not only a cause for sincere congratulations for the two countries, but also a matter of profound significance as another step forward in the construction of greater East Asia.
It has been the hope and desire of Japan for many years to establish in greater East Asia an order of common prosperity and well-being based upon justice, with the various countries of this region closely co-operating with each other as good neighbours and with mutual respect for their self-asserting independence, and thereby contribute to the peace of the entire world. However, the Anglo-American ambition of East Asiatic hegemony and their conspiracies to divide the peoples of East Asia continued to obstruct the realization of this desire. To crush the Anglo-American ambition and to ensure her existence and defence, Japan resolutely took up the sword and since then, with the earnest co-operation of the countries and peoples of greater East Asia and with a firm and unflagging determination, has gone vigorously forward with the prosecution of the war and with the construction of greater East Asia. Thus, the relations among Japan, Manchoukuo and China have become increasingly close day by day and month by month, the amicable relations between Japan and Thailand have made a big forward advance, Burma and the Philippines have newly become independent, the old Anglo-American order has been expelled and the renaissance of greater East Asia has steadily advanced.
During this while, the Republic of China declared war on the United States and Britain at the beginning of this year and strengthened its determination to prosecute the common war successfully to its very end, one with Japan in life and in death. In confident expectation of an epochal development in the relations between the two countries in accordance with the fundamental spirit of co-operation and with the desire to ensure the speedy construction of a new China on the basis of China's self-asserting independence and on the basis of the full demonstration of the political power of the National Government, Japan on that occasion decided to take all measures of good will such as the retrocession to China of all Japanese concessions in that country, the recognition of the restoration of the International Settlement at Shanghai, the International Settlement at Amoy and the Legation Quarters in Peking,
the enforcement of the relinquishment of extraterritorial rights, and so forth, and has since then proceeded to carry these out. In concert with Japan's actions, China, on her part, pushed forward the construction of the new China and substantiated her war co-operation with us, thereby rendering smooth the development of Japanese-Chinese relations; and today the Treaty Relating to the Basic Affairs Between Japan and China has been replaced by a new Pact of Alliance.
This Pact of Alliance conforms with the new situation in greater East Asia and will govern the normal and proper relations between Japan and China. China. It is the corner-stone of the perpetual friendship between the two countries and for the consummation of the noble common mission of construction of greater East Asia. This, indeed, I believe, can be possibly only because of the justice and sincerity of our war aims and because of our conviction in sure victory.
Japan will henceforth spare nothing in assisting in the construction of the new China in pursuance of the fundamental spirit of this Pact and will march forward, hand in hand with China, in prosecuting the war of greater East Asia to a victorious conclusion and in constructing the new order of greater East Asia.