Japanese troops and “advisers” were to be stationed all over China, undermining Wang’s argument that his government would restore the Nationalists to sovereignty. New concessions were made in key industries such as coal and ore mining, and the Japanese Navy was to be given control over Hainan island in the south. In spite of Wang’s dreams of reunification, north China was to be kept separate, and Shanghai was also to be given special status (that is, with special privileges for the Japanese). The terms were almost entirely one-sided, and the signing of the agreement on December 30, 1939, was a
...more
