ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on an aspect of continuity in British imperial policy in examining British attitudes towards Japan in the 1930s, especially in the period between the Manchurian Incident and the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War. It points to a clear discontinuity between the 1930s and the post-World War II period. In order to understand the historical meaning of British policy towards Japan at this juncture, it may be useful to consider the position of Indian nationalism in Anglo-Japanese relations. The Asia-Pacific War for Britain was a war which was consistently fought with the aim of regaining its imperial interests and prestige. The context of this chapter was that it also embodied a further attempt to bring about a new form of Anglo-Japanese cooperation in China. What is important in the context of this chapter is that many Japanese surrendered personnel (JSP) were used by Britain not only in Malaya but also in Indochina and Indonesia.
