ABSTRACT
This study traces the origins of Chinese codebreaking efforts during the key years of the Republican period. It deals with China’s Sigint against the invading Japanese, its political implications within the KMT power structure, China’s tenacious attempt at breaking the Japanese military code and its success, and finally, and more importantly, China’s codebreaking efforts in the grand scheme of Allied war operations in East and South Asia, with the special emphasis on Chinese-British Sigint cooperation or the lack of. The Chinese story once again testifies to the importance of inter-service and inter-ally coordination, the failure of which contributed to many disasters during World War II in Asia, including the sinking of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse.
