| Hara Takashi (1856 - 1921) , an important modern Japanese statesman, is renowned for his strategic foreign policy of international coordination. With this policy, Hara intended Japan to coordinate on China issue with the United State, which was claiming an increasingly significant role in the world political arena, in order to abate American suspicion of Japan's ambition to solely control China and reduce the conflicts and clashes between Japan and America in their competing to reap the most rights and profits in colonial China. Thus, Japan could avail itself of an easier and more peaceful international circumstance to grab the greatest national benefit in a comparatively smooth way. One of the most outstanding features of this policy lies in the fact that through making compromise with and befriending the increasingly powerful country, the United States, Japan would pose low in military invasion and colonization while putting emphasis on expanding Japanese economic influence by enhancing Japanese foreign trade and developing Japanese enterprises in China.Hara Takashi's early perceptions on China issue served as the starting point of his later consideration of coordinating mainly with the United States. He agreed with those in office about mimicking and going after European and American strong powers to expand Japanese colonial interests in China, and stressed that foreign negotiation was targeted at maintaining and enlarging Japanese interests and profits in China, and that Japanese national interests were not to be neglected while Japan expressing friendship to other great powers.On the other hand, Hara Takashi wisely recognized the fact that the substantial power of each country determined its position in the geography of foreign colonial interests in China. He also perceived that it was neither feasible nor unfit for a country to confront other major powers by aspiring to solely control China. As to Japan, it should pay more attention to others in international relations due to its comparatively budding development in economy and military affairs. It was from this perspective that Hara Takashi put forth his peculiar political idea that "The strategy against the Qing dynasty underscores dealing with Europe; and the strategy against Europe underscores protecting Japanese interests." Accordingly, when he witnessed that the United States was flourishing and gradually Americanizing the world, Hara naturally paid more attention to America and realized the gravity of Japan's keeping good relationship with the United States in international affairs.When the WWI broke out, Hara Takashi strongly opposed Japan's rash military invasion of China and preached on improving Japan's relationship with America and Britain by changing Japan's policy in China. Accordingto him, the United States would surely have the loudest voice in international affairs; therefore, Japan must try hard to maintain friendly relationship with America. Regarding Japan's China Policy, Hara Takashi consistently objected to reckless military operation, insisting on acquiring profits in China "while talking and laughing." Japan, he wished, could thus ease up its relationship with China and dispel the increasingly rising anti-Japanese spirit and the campaign of rejecting Japanese goods in China; in the meanwhile, Japan would not likely incur the embarrassment of being upbraided by America, Britain and other great powers. When he himself came into power, Hara Takashi began to rectify Japan's foreign policy and carry out his idea of international coordination. Under the guidelines of harmonizing with the United States, "endearing Japan and China" and "not interfering with China's civil affairs", Hara painstakingly launched out various foreign policies.A survey of the development of Hara Takashi's strategic idea of international coordination reveals that this idea resulted from his reflection and perception on the international situation surrounding China issue, and that this strategic foreign policy was indeed a rather rational choice fo...
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