STATEMENT OF THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT CONCERNING THE FUTURE OF EAST ASIA
Dated November 3, 1938
BY the august virtue of His Majesty, our naval and military forces have captured Canton and the three cities of Wuhan; and all the vital areas of China have thus fallen into our hands. The Kuomintang Government exists no longer except as a mere local régime. However, so long as it persists in its anti-Japanese and pro-communist policy our country will not lay down its arms—never until that régime is crushed.
What Japan seeks is the establishment of a new order which will insure the permanent stability of East Asia. In this lies the ultimate purpose of our present military campaign.
This new order has for its foundation a tripartite relationship of mutual aid and co-ordination between Japan, Manchoukuo and China in political, economic, cultural and other fields. Its object is to secure international justice, to perfect the joint defence against Communism, and to create a new culture and realize a close economic cohesion throughout East Asia. This indeed is the way to contribute toward the stabilization of East Asia and the progress of the world.
What Japan desires of China is that that country will share in the task of bringing about this new order in East Asia. She confidently expects that the people of China will fully comprehend her true intentions and that they will respond to the call of Japan for their cooperation. Even the participation of the Kuomintang Government would not be rejected, if, repudiating the policy which has guided it in the past and remoulding its personnel, so as to translate its re-birth into fact, it were to come forward to join in the establishment of the new order.
Japan is confident that other Powers will on their part correctly appreciate her aims and policy and adapt their attitude to the new conditions prevailing in East Asia. For the cordiality hitherto manifested by the nations which are in sympathy with us, Japan wishes to express her profound gratitude.
The establishment of a new order in East Asia is in complete conformity with the very spirit in which the Empire was founded; to achieve such a task is the exalted responsibility with which our present generation is entrusted. It is, therefore, imperative to carry
[Page 16 was transcribed with GPT (Codex CLI), not Claude.]
out all necessary internal reforms, and with a full development of the aggregate national strength, material as well as moral, fulfil at all costs this duty incumbent upon our nation.
This, the Government declares to be the immutable policy and determination of Japan.