Paper short abstract:

Zhang Jiluan of Ta Kung Pao and Ōta Unosuke of Asahi Shimbun were comrades who shared a concern about Japan-China relations in the 1930s. Their writings shed light on little-known cooperation between Japanese and Chinese journalists who strove earnestly to prevent escalation of conflict into war.

Paper long abstract:

Due to the Manchurian Incident, Japan-China relations worsened until a total war broke out in 1937. Through those years, however, there were initiatives across Japan and China to avoid such a clash. This paper focuses on two journalists who aimed at improving bilateral relations through their work in the press: Zhang Jiluan and Ōta Unosuke.

Zhang Jiluan (1888-1941), who served as the editor in chief Ta Kung Pao, developed a thesis for appeasement towards Japan before the outbreak of the war. He did not, however, support Japan's aggressive policy, nor did he abandon resistance against invasion. Having ties with many moderate "China experts" in Japan, he aimed at cooperation with them to arouse criticism against the invasion of China and cause a policy change in Japan.

One of the partners of Zhang was Ōta Unosuke (1891-1986), a journalist of the Asahi who specialized in Chinese affairs and had a professional experience of over ten years in Beijing and Shanghai. In the 1930s, he promoted a "thesis for the unified assistance of China". Looking at the process of state building under the Nationalist government, Ōta called for Japan's aid to the Chinese government and economic partnership between the two countries. His ideas met with some positive responses in China. The Ta Kung Pao, in particular, was eager to introduce Ōta to the Chinese public. Its editor portrayed Ōta as an ideal supporter of Japan's recognition of China, raising him above other "China experts" in Japan.

This paper clarifies the realities of resonance and cooperation between Zhang and Ōta on the eve of the Second Sino-Japanese War, with a focus on articles related to Ōta in the Ta Kung Pao. Research mainly covers the prewar period, but also explores how the relationship between Zhang and Ōta changed during the war. Despite the eventual failure to deter conflict, friendly cooperation between Japanese and Chinese journalists remains a significant aspect of Sino-Japanese relations in those years, as well as of media history. In a broader perspective, those facts are important for understanding the foundations of international dialogue in the postwar era.