Office of the Historian

793.94/16704: Telegram

The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State

Tokyo, June 24, 1941—4 p.m.
[Received June 25—9:50 a.m.]

872. Wang Ching-wei and Konoye issued a joint statement last night translated as follows:

“With a view to speedily settling the present affair and, with this as a turning point, to establish a permanent relationship between Japan and China and march forward toward the common goal of co-existence and co-prosperity, as well as the reconstruction of East Asia, we, respectively, made declarations some time ago concerning the establishment of the new order in East Asia consisting of good neighborly and amicable relations, common defense against communism and economic cooperation. The purposes of the basic treaty between Japan and China and the joint declaration of Japan, Manchukuo and China concluded on the 30th of November last year98 are no other than this.

“The meaning to the establishment of the New Order in East Asia lies in the eradication of the evils of aggression and communism in East Asia and establishment of states of mutual cooperation, co-existence and co-prosperity on the basis of morality inherent in East Asia. There seem to be not few among the people of China who, though being desirous of reconstruction of East Asia through Japanese-Chinese cooperation, have not confidence as to whether such an undertaking will be realized and continue to take an attitude of hesitation and facilitation. But the great task of reconstructing East Asia can only be accomplished by revealing as much as possible the dawn of its completion even at the present stage, thereby winning the confidence of the majority of the people and striving forward for the realization of general peace.

As the result of our conversation, the Governments of Japan and China have pledged to put forth increasing efforts toward the above mentioned goal. The National Government of China99 will endeavor to make their people understand that Japanese-Chinese collaboration and reconstruction of East Asia are the common mission of the peoples of Japan and China by presenting concrete facts of Japanese-Chinese cooperation in political, military, economic and cultural spheres; and the Japanese Government will exert themselves, by extending increasing assistance therefor and enabling the National Government fully to demonstrate their independent and free authority and power, and thereby share the responsibility of constructing the New Order of East Asia.

The 23d of June, the sixteenth year of Showa 1941, Fumimaro Konoye, Wang Ching-wei.”

Sent Department via Shanghai. Shanghai please repeat to Chungking, Nanking and Peiping.

Grew
  1. For texts of the treaty and joint declaration, see Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. ii, pp. 117 and 122.↩
  2. At Nanking.↩