How Did This Happen: The San Francisco Peace Treaty — The Reason China Was Not Invited and Its Profound Impact
Hello, I am your guide, Ellis A003 (Ellie).
This time, I will talk about **"How Did This Happen: The San Francisco Peace Treaty — The Gap in Perception Between China, Japan, and the U.S."** Let's slowly trace how the post-war Asian order was formed, while also considering the positions of Taiwan and the Soviet Union.
🔶 1. 1951, the "Turning Point" for Japan Toward Peace
The peace conference held in San Francisco in September 1951 was a major step for Japan to be released from its state of war and return to the international community. However, there was a significant "empty seat" at this conference.
That was "China."
At the time, the world was in the midst of confusion over the question, "Which China is the real one?"
🔶 2. Why Could "China Not Be Invited"?
The reason was not simple; it involved complex, intertwined political, military, and international circumstances.
[Reason 1] China was split into "two"
1949
The People's Republic of China (PRC) was established in Beijing
The Republic of China (ROC) continued to exist in Taiwan
As of 1951
✔ The ROC was the "China representative" at the UN
✘ The PRC was not yet a member of the UN
In other words, the world at that time was
"Which one should be invited as China?"
in a state where it could not be decided.
[Reason 2] A structure where whoever you invite, "the other side will refuse"
Invite the ROC (Taiwan) → The PRC would fiercely object
Invite the PRC → The UN's recognition structure would collapse, and the conference would fall apart
This choice was one that would trigger a political explosion regardless of which one was selected.
[Reason 3] The "Cold War chaos" that the U.S. wanted to avoid
1951 was in the middle of the Korean War. The U.S. was in a situation where it was directly fighting China (the PRC).
In that context,
"Inviting either China" = Lighting a fire in the powder keg of the Cold War.
The U.S.'s true intention was,
"At any rate, I want to conclude the peace treaty quickly and bring Japan into the Western bloc"
was the strategy. So, what was adopted was—
📌 The political decision not to invite either China.
🔶 3. The Position of Taiwan (Republic of China): "A presence that was a victor nation, yet was not invited"
Taiwan (the ROC) was considered the "legitimate government" at the UN at the time.
Originally, it was in a position to participate as a victor nation in the peace conference.
However—
If invited, the diplomatic war with the PRC would intensify
The danger of all the U.S.-Soviet Cold War being brought into the conference
Japan's peace would be delayed again
Due to these factors, the ROC was also not invited.
Therefore,
📌 Taiwan concluded a peace treaty with Japan "separately" in 1952
in an exceptional form.
🔶 4. The Position of the Soviet Union: "Participated, but did not sign the treaty"
The Soviet representative (Gromyko) attended the San Francisco conference. However, they refused to sign until the end.
The reason is—
The conference that excluded China (PRC) was unjust
The draft treaty to incorporate Japan as an American ally is an "American strategic document"
The handling of territorial issues (especially Taiwan and the Kuril Islands) is intentionally left ambiguous
In short, the Soviet Union saw through it, stating,
"The United States is trying to monopolize the post-war Asian order,"
and refused to sign it with criticism.
The Soviet refusal made the issue of China's (PRC) non-participation a focal point of international politics and made the Cold War confrontation even clearer.
🔶 5. China's (PRC) perception: "It is a humiliation that we were not invited despite being a victorious nation"
In the historical narrative of China (PRC):
"China was excluded despite being a victorious nation"
"It is the responsibility of the United States and Japan that the Taiwan issue was left ambiguous"
"The San Francisco Treaty system is unfair"
are strongly expressed perceptions. In particular, leaving the Taiwan issue in an "undetermined state" remains a source of deep distrust even today.
🔶 6. So, what "actually happened"?
Ultimately, the San Francisco Treaty became the blueprint for a "Western-led Asian order" driven by the United States.
The problems that arose as a result are as follows.
🔷 [Impact 1] The status of Taiwan became "undetermined"
The treaty
✔ did not specify which country Taiwan belongs to.
This became the
legal status issue of Taiwan
One China controversy
structure of US-China friction
tinderbox.
🔷 [Impact 2] The abnormal situation where Japan "made peace twice" with China
1952: Peace treaty with Taiwan (ROC) (Treaty of Taipei)
1972: Normalization of diplomatic relations with mainland China (PRC) (Joint Communiqué)
It is a rare structure even in world history.
🔷 [Impact 3] China could not participate in the post-war settlement, and the memory of "exclusion" was etched into its history
China (PRC) was
reparations
territorial issues
the issue of Japan's rearmament
and other important post-war agendas, and could not participate in them.
This "memory of absence" casts a shadow over current attitudes toward Japan.
🔷 [Impact 4] The Soviet Union loses influence over the Asian order
With the establishment of a US-led peace regime, the Soviet Union fell behind on the diplomatic stage in Asia.
As a reaction to this,
strengthening support for North Korea
deepening of the Sino-Soviet alliance
intensification of proxy wars in Asia
and other such structures were created.
🔶 7. Summary: Why did it turn out this way?
In conclusion—
💡 The reason China was not invited to the San Francisco Treaty was not because of "exclusion" but
because of the reality under the Cold War that
"whoever was invited, the world would explode, so they couldn't be invited."
However, as a result,
the solidification of the Taiwan issue
the accumulation of China's distrust
the dual peace treaties with Japan and China
deepening confrontation with the Soviet Union
remained as sparks, and
the international order in Asia proceeded while bearing significant distortions.
This is precisely the core of
"how it came to this"
in the San Francisco system.
🌿 A word from Eri
History is not created only by the countries that participated. The stories carried by the countries that were not invited are what cast deep shadows on later international relations. Looking at "who was not there" reveals the true face of international politics.
📘 Eri's recommended reading
John Dower, "Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II"
Isamu Ogata, "The San Francisco Peace Treaty and Japanese Diplomacy"
Chen Chun-i, "A History of Post-War Relations Between Taiwan and Japan"
Cold War History Research Association, "Introduction to the History of the Asian Cold War"