East Asians in the League of Nations : Actors, Empires and Regions in Early Global Politics

This book looks at East Asian actors in the League of Nations to explore a pivotal moment in the early stage of the development of global international relations. It breaks new ground by drawing on extensive sources in East Asian languages to show how actors from the region played significant roles in shaping the emerging norms and practices that underpin the international system. The chapters cover cases from the three East Asian member states, namely China, Japan and Siam (Thailand) to address topics that involve the intersection of disciplinary fields, such as law and warfare, sovereignty and international organization, and public health and international co-operation. The research draws on new material that will be of interest to academic researchers and is presented in a style suitable for teaching at undergraduate and graduate levels, especially for courses that strive to achieve a global outlook and the decolonization of the curriculum. Christopher R. Hughes Professor Emeritus of International Relations at the LSE, where he served as Director of the Asia Research Centre from 2002 to 2005. He has published widely on Chinese foreign policy and the impact of culture, technology and power on the evolution of international society. Previous books include Taiwan and Chinese Nationalism: National Identity and Status in International Society (Routledge 1997/2014), China and the Internet: Politics of the Digital Leap Forward (ed. Wth G. Wacker) (Routledge 2003) and Chinese Nationalism in the Global Era (Routledge Curzon 2006). Hatsue Shinohara is a Professor at the Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies, Waseda University. She specializes in the history of international organization and international law. Her major publications include American International Lawyers in the Interwar Years: A Forgotten Crusade (Cambridge University Press, 2012) and the League of Nations (in Japanese) (2010), which was translated into Chinese and published in China (2020) Acknowledgments Note on Romanization Contents Notes on Contributors Abbreviations List of Tables Introduction: Locating Eastern Asia and the League in Global International Relations References The League of Nations in a World of Empires Liberal Internationalism Reconsidered: Inter-Imperialism, Liberalism, and the League of Nations in Asia and the Pacific Introduction Inter-Imperialism and the Inter-Imperial Order in Asia and the Pacific in 1920–1960 Liberal Inter-Imperialism and Inter-colonialism for the League of Nations Liberal Inter-Imperialism and the ‘humanitarian’ Laws of the League Liberals, Public Opinion and Experts: the League and Mass-Based Democracy Conclusion Notes References The League’s Technical Work in the Years of Growing Nationalism The Significance of Functional Co-operation Japan: Technical Co-operation in the Context of Withdrawal Technical Co-operation and China’s Sovereignty International Co-operation Versus Nationalism References Global Networks Between Civilisations The Far-Eastern Bureau of the League of Nations: Linking the Regional and International Orders Through Health Work Introduction Establishment of the League of Nations Health Organization (LNHO) World War I and Infectious Diseases The Epidemic Commission and the Establishment of the LNHO The LNHO Far-Eastern Bureau The Far-Eastern Bureau and Regional Order in Asia Continuing the Bureau’s Work During and After World War II From Allied Command to the WHO The Continuation and Expansion of the Bureau’s Pre-war Activities The Changing Status of the Intelligence Station Establishment of the International Sanitary Regulations (1951) The Legacy of the Far-Eastern Bureau Notes References Japanese International Lawyers and the Codification of International Law in the League of Nations Introduction Background to the League’s Efforts to Codify International Law The Covenant and International Law The Debate in the Assembly Preparations for a Codification Conference The Codification Project and Japan How the JSIL Came to Submit a Draft Code The Significance of the Japanese Draft Code The Reaction of the International Community A ‘National’ Code—Yet Not Entirely So The Idea of Codification Behind the Draft Code The Significance of Sub-state Actors Notes References Intellectual Entanglements Between the League of Nations and Eastern Asia: Modernism or Anti-modernism? Introduction Japan’s Version of Intellectual Co-operation: gakugei kyōryoku China’s Version of Intellectual Co-operation: shijie wenhua hezuo Conclusion Notes References Member States Siam’s Attempt at Neutrality: Coping with the League of Nations’ Multilateralism Introduction Siam’s Manoeuvrings Towards the End of World War I The Presumption of Neutrality in the League’s First Decade Managing Politics Among the Powers Siam and the Racial Equality Clause The Dispute Over Article 10 Neutrality in the Manchurian Crisis The Unintended Consequences of Abstention Perception and Misperception of the Alignment with Japan Hedging and the Dilemma of Small Powers Notes References Japan’s Diplomats in the League Council: The Challenge of Managing Power and Ideals in the Pacific Settlement of Disputes Introduction The Institutional Development of the Council in the 1920s The Rapporteur and Commission of Enquiry Systems Examination of Article 11 of the Covenant Japan and the Pacific Settlement of Conflicts in the 1920s Japanese Diplomats in the League Tokyo’s Passivity Toward Reinforcing the Pacific Settlement of Disputes The Manchurian Crisis and Discussions at the Council Between Power and Ideals: The Long Shadow of the League Notes References China’s Response to the Ethiopian Crisis (1935–1938) Introduction The Impact of the Ethiopian Crisis on China’s Relationship with Italy Managing Public Opinion: A Controversial Documentary The Exchange of Recognition Between Italy and Japan Britain’s Note on Recognizing Italy’s Annexation Conclusion Notes References Manchuria Aborted Ideas of an Internationally Administered Manchuria: The Background to the Lytton Report The League and International Administration Theory in the Early 1930s The Iraq Model The Saarland and Danzig Models Chinese Ideas on Regional Autonomy The Lytton Report Formulation of the Recommendations for International Administration Reactions to the Lytton Recommendations Conclusions and Analysis Notes References Public Opinion and the League: Newspaper Coverage of the Lytton Commission in China Introduction High Expectations and the Establishment of the Lytton Commission The Commission En Route to Manchuria and Chinese Opinion Publication of the Lytton Report From Internationalism to Nationalism Notes References Sovereignty as ‘Organised Hypocrisy’: China’s Diplomats and the Lytton Commission Deconstructing Sovereignty China’s Diplomats as Performers The League in Domestic Politics Articulating Sovereignty at the League The Attack on Shanghai Sovereignty in the Lytton Report The Diplomatic Power of a Quasi-State Notes References Conclusion: Eastern Asia and the League—Shifting to a Global Perspective Introduction International Organizations, Multilateralism, Global Governance: The Post-Cold War History of the League From Global Governance to Empire Building: The Global Momentum of the Manchurian Crisis The Political Significance of Technical Co-operation The League in a Global Perspective—Consequences and Questions Notes References Appendix: The Covenant of the League of Nations Glossary of Names of Individuals Places and Newspapers Bibliography Index