War with Japan Foreign relations of China

chiang kai-shek u.s. president franklin d. roosevelt , british prime minister winston churchill @ cairo conference in 1943

the united states strong supporter of china after japan invaded in 1937. isolationists opposed war in europe supported hard-line against japan. outbreak of second sino-japanese war in 1937 saw aid flow republic of china, led chiang kai-shek. american public sympathy chinese aroused reports missionaries, novelists such pearl buck, , time magazine of japanese brutality in china, including reports surrounding nanking massacre, known rape of nanking . 1941 u.s. preparing send american planes flown american pilots under american command, wearing chinese uniforms, fight japanese invaders , bomb japanese cities. flying tigers under claire lee chennault arrived u.s. entered war.

after formal declaration of war in december 1941, u.s. stepped flow of aid, had routed through india , on himalayan mountains because japan blocked other routes. chiang s beleaguered government headquartered in remote chongqing. madame chiang kaishek, had been educated in united states, addressed congress , toured country rally support china. congress amended chinese exclusion act , roosevelt moved end unequal treaties. however, perception chiang s government, poorly equipped , ill-fed troops unable fight japanese or preferred focus more on defeating communists grew. china hands such joseph stilwell argued in american interest establish communication communists prepare land-based counteroffensive invasion of japan. dixie mission, began in 1943, first official american contact communists. other americans, led chennault, argued air power. in 1944, generalissimo chiang acceded roosevelt s request american general take charge of forces in area, demanded stilwell recalled. general albert coady wedemeyer replaced stilwell, patrick j. hurley became ambassador, , chinese-american relations became smoother. u.s. had included china in top-level diplomacy in hope large masses of chinese troops defeat japan minimal american casualties. when hope seen illusory, , clear b-29 bombers not operate china, china became less important washington, promised seat in new un security council, veto. in 1946 u.s. sent in high level team under general george marshall try negotiate solution emerging civil war, failed.)