In recent years, the Nanjing government's performance had been nothing but a "laughingstock" in the international community. Voluntarily abandoning the Northeast was equivalent to Germany handing the Ruhr area to France. Failing to actively resist Japan in Shanghai and allowing Japanese troops to be stationed there was equivalent to the Soviet Union allowing Germany to mass troops in Leningrad. What was more, Shanghai was the gateway to the Yangtze River; its importance was far beyond anything Leningrad could compare with.
"The Nanjing government's conduct is truly hard to put into words. But I understand now why Father had such a poor impression of the Nanjing government back then. With the way they behave, it would not be an exaggeration to say they are mud that cannot be plastered onto a wall," Friedrich commented after reading the latest news from the Far East Empire.
Ernst sneered. "That is also why I asked our forces in the Far East to shift toward its strategic rear. If the Nanjing government continues in its current manner, then Japan's future war against the Far East Empire will certainly be very easy in its early stages."
"And Britain and the other countries—if they continue to indulge Japan's aggression now, once Japan grows powerful in the Far East, it will sooner or later turn around and bite them."
"Still, that is the outcome we want to see. Before then, we should provide the Far East Empire with limited aid, erode Japan's desire to attack it, and guide Japan toward the Nanyang region."
"We should also help Japan obtain intelligence related to the Nanyang region, Australia, and other areas, while increasing investment in Australian iron ore and coal, as well as resources such as oil in Myanmar and North Borneo, and tin mines in the East Indies."
This