Sino-Japanese War Dbq

It is essential to understand how China, Japan and Korea, were perceived and they themselves perceived in the first Sino-Japanese War. Chinese understanding of Japanese politics and diplomacy was limited to aggression and deceit. After Japanese attack on China, China was successful in grabbing the world-opinion and Japan's use of armed force in China was unjustifiable. Japan, which was initially perceived as the most industrialized countries, changed the Western perception after the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-5. Japan’s refusal to participate in the Brussels Conference of the Nine Powers annoyed international community. Moreover, being offended by Japan’s claim of China as a Monroe Doctrine for Asia, as America's Monroe Doctrine for Latin America, U.S. claimed Japan’s Monroe doctrine for Asia, unlike American Monroe Doctrine, as a destroyer and invader of China.

Even Japan could not satisfactorily provide a counter reply to U.S.As protest against Japan’s violation of the Open-Door policy on October 6, 1938. On one hand, China viewed that Japan alone was responsible for the war and on the other hand, China also considered the attitude of the Western powers responsible for the war. When Japanese intentions in Korea were clearly visible, the Russian aid to China placed it into Russian hands. Britian, the usual supporter of China, switched to Japan following the victories of China at Pyongyong and on the high seas. Even the 1882 treaty between Korea and the United States was observed as U.S. hidden motives in Korean policies which supported the long-term intentions of Japan. China perceived American duplicity and hypocrisy before and during the peace negotiations at Shimonoseki (Jansen et.al