Gauging the Tide: the Rise of Nationalist China in Japan’s Leading Newspapers, 1928-29

The capture of Beijing by Nationalist forces in June 1928 marked the beginning of a new phase in Sino‑Japanese relations, as political developments in China impacted on issues such as treaty revision and Japan’s interests in the Northeast. Although negotiations did not bring a solution to those fundamental questions, there was some diplomatic progress that, one year later, led to Tokyo’s recognition of the Nanjing government. How did the Japanese press respond to this process? To provide a baseline for broader surveys, this essay compares the stances of the two largest newspapers, considering their assessment of both domestic and foreign factors. The analysis shows that the Asahi and the Mainichi differed to a significant degree in their respective interpretations of the facts.