Japanese Experts in China’s Early Postwar Reconstruction: History, Legacy and Memory

Abstract:
It is well-known that in the wake of World War II, the Allied countries made use of scientists and engineers from defeated Germany. In contrast, the fact that tens of thousands of Japanese scientific and technical personnel remained and worked in China after that war has largely been overlooked by historians. Drawing from a wide range of sources in Japanese, Chinese and English languages, this presentation explains the decisions by both Chinese Nationalists and Communists to make use of Japanese experts and skilled workers after the war. It also explores the attitude of the United States toward the continued presence of Japanese in postwar China. Moreover, it examines the attitudes of ordinary Chinese citizens as well as the multifaceted experience of those Japanese working in fields ranging from industry to medical service to scientific research. Lastly, it assesses the latter’s contribution to China’s postwar reconstruction as well as the evolving memories of this episode in these two Asian neighbors.