In late 1935, the Comintern had made Japan one of the areas of key concentration for their activities, and clashes had begun to arise on the border between Manchukuo and the eastern USSR. “Japan is destined sooner or later to clash with the Soviet Union,” said Itagaki Seishirô (then chief of staff of the Kwantung Army) to Foreign Minister Arita Hachirô, “and the attitude of China at that time will gravely influence operations.”
