A Study On Reports Of Japan’s Invasion Into China In New York Times(1931-1937)

In the 1930 s, the Sino-centric sphere of order collapsed and China inevitably was drawn into the western powers-centric treaty system. From Mukden Incident in 1931 to Lugouqiao Incident in 1937, the triangular relationships among China, America and Japan were complicated. In this period, the essential starting point of American policy toward China is to maintain order in the Far East. Not only the economic benefits but also the political position of China influences the policy. In this case, the appeals for moral principles are ignored and Sino-U.S. relations give way to Japan-U.S. relations. Generally speaking, the guiding principle of American policy toward China is the “Open Door” policy, the basic position is the “Non-recognition doctrine”, the specific performance is anti-military intervention and its attitude toward China changes in a slow and cautious way. In the crisis, New York Times, one of the representative traditional mainstream media of America, delivers the messages of the war to the world, reflects American public opinion and then shapes the outlook of its policy to China.Based on the reports of Japan’s invasion into China in New York Times from 1931 to 1937 and Foreign Relations of the United States(FRUS), the thesis aims to present the real picture of the war, reveal the development of American policy toward China and explain the role of the newspaper in history. In the first chapter, the writer briefly introduces the quantity, type, topic and preference of the reports in New York Times. Then, the writer analyzes the contents of the reports according to the key topic. Finally, the writer mainly discusses the development of American policy toward China and the internal connection among the newspaper, public opinion and the policy.