Historical Dictionary of United States-Japan ... - Bakumatsu Films

270 • YOSHIDA, SHIGERU
Because Japan believed that the mainland Chinese market would
play an important role in its postwar economic recovery, Prime Minister
Yoshida did not wish to antagonize the PRC by breaking off relations.
However, when Chinese communist forces entered Korea to
engage U.S. troops during the Korean War, the United States intensified
its existing embargo of China and advocated policies that were
hostile to the communists running the PRC. On the pretext of securing
U.S. Senate ratification of the San Francisco Peace Treaty, Secretary
of State Dulles places strong demands on the Japanese government
to sever diplomatic relations with the PRC. Forced to choose
sides, Prime Minister Yoshida sent what became known as the
Yoshida Letter to Dulles, which contained Japan’s promise to normalize
diplomatic relations with the Nationalist Chinese government
based in Taiwan. In March 1952, the Japan–China Peace Treaty was
signed between Japan and Taiwan. See also TREATY OF PEACE
BETWEEN JAPAN AND CHINA.
YOSHIDA, SHIGERU (1878–1967). Shigeru Yoshida was a diplomat
and one of the most prominent politicians in postwar Japan. He was
born in Tokyo and was adopted by Kenzo Yoshida, a businessman,
when he was three years old. After graduating from the Law Department
of Tokyo Imperial University, he became a diplomat.
He served as minister of foreign affairs in the Naruhiko Higashikuni
and Kiju - ro - Shidehara cabinets. The president of the Liberal
Party, Ichiro Hatoyama, was the victim of a purge just before he
was about to be appointed as prime minister. So Hatoyama asked
Shigeru Yoshida to become prcesident in his stead. He was appointed
prime minister in May 1946, and he formed the first Yoshida Cabinet,
which lasted from 22 May 1946 to 24 May 1947. Yoshida was
the very last person to become prime minister without first being a
Diet member. Although Yoshida promoted the Economic Stabilization
Board and the Priority Production System, he was not enthusiastic
about the direction of the economic planning encouraged by
the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP).
After the Tetsu Katayama and Hitoshi Ashida Cabinets, Yoshida
formed the second Yoshida Cabinet (15 October 1948 to 16 February
1949). The Liberal Party won a landslide victory at the general election
and Yoshida formed the third Yoshida Cabinet (16 February 1949