Thursday, 2 December

This morning the British broadcast announced the details of the meeting between Chairman Chiang, Roosevelt and Churchill in North Africa, saying it lasted for five days, from last Monday to Friday. Besides Madame Chiang, Wang Chonghui, Shang Zhen, Zhou Zhirou (周至柔)[1], Yang Xuancheng (楊宣城) accompanied him. On the American and British side, there were even more important political and military figures attending the meeting. There were more than two hundred people for each side. They talked about the military and political problems against Japan. The Chinese side proposed: 1) to increase the navy and air force against Japan, 2) to speed up an attack on Burma through India and break open the Yunnan-Burma Route, 3) to help China with necessities for its military and people, 4) the reconstruction of China after the war, 5) political issues with regard to Japan. Therefore resolutions have been made to announce that all sides unanimously agreed as follows: 1) to intensify the joint war against Japan, and make Japan unconditionally surrender, 2) to push Japan back to to its proper boundaries 3) all territories scrambled by Japan from China in the past, like Taiwan, should be returned to China, 4) the independence of Chosen, 5) islands under Japanese tutelage should be given back, 6) China, Britain and the United States express that they have no territorial intentions. This conference was an unprecedented meeting in Chinese history. It’s importance to China can not be described, because China has been weak for some hundred years, and not until now is it recognised as one of the world’s great powers. Also Britain and the United States expressed their willingness to cooperate with us and help us to reach this status. This is really the greatest success for our country. This is certainly the result of the bloody sacrifice of our country over the past seven years, as well as the success of the Generalissimo’s great leadership. From this, one can ascertain that the fate of a country depends a lot upon its leaders. Satō has also admitted that Japan is lacking leaders so it went on a wrong path. I believe he spoke from the bottom of his heart. Despite my own bereavement being in deep sadness, I felt quite comforted on learning this.

[1] Zhou Zhirou (1899-1986) was a close associate of Chiang Kai-shek. He was a senior aviation military officers of the Nationalist Government.