A Covert Move of the Idle Piece:An Analysis of ZHANG Jiluan's Involvement in Sino-Japanese Secret Talks(1936-1940)
In the early stages of the War of Resistance against Japan,ZHANG Jiluan,chief editor of Ta Kung Pao,also served as an advisor to the National Government on Japan-related diplomatic matters.He provided counsel to Chiang Kai-shek on Sino-Japanese relations.Following the July 7th Incident of 1937,both China and Japan sought to deescalate and end the conflict as soon as possible.Representatives from both sides were sent to test each other's bottom line for peace talks,gradually forming the government,military,intelligence,diplomacy and other interaction channels.From 1937 to 1940,ZHANG Jiluan,with his connections in the Japanese press and knowl-edge of Japanese politics,was tasked by CHEN Bulei,director of the Second Division of Chiang Kai-shek's Chamberlains Office,to hold secret talks with Japanese representatives in Shanghai,Hong Kong,and Macao.Dur-ing these talks,ZHANG adhered to Chiang Kai-shek's principles of an immediate ceasefire and a return to the sta-tus quo before the July 7th Incident,partly preventing the establishment of the Wang Puppet Government.Although the"ZHANG Jiluan Scheme"and other clandestine negotiations did not alter the military and political dynamics be-tween China and Japan during the war,they significantly influenced the National Government's diplomatic strate-gies.After the outbreak of the Pacific War,China and Japan were in opposing camps,making peace talks impossi-ble,therefore,all these activities were terminated.
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