Edited by Huang Tzu-chin, 2019, Steps Towards Reconciliation: The Introspection of The Sino-Japanese War, 1061 pages, New Taipei City: Daw Shiang Publishing Co., Ltd.
 

Through reconsidering the impact of the Second Sino-Japanese War toward China and Japan, and of the history thereafter, this volume aims to construct the common basis for reconciliation of China and Japan. All 22 essays contained in this volume are written by scholars from Taiwan, Mainland China, Japan, and Canada. This volume can be classified into six different topics.
The first topic deals with the historical narratives and the historical memories. Through narratives of three controversial issues – Traitors to China, Nanjing Massacre, and the War Against Japan– the authors expressed their own perspectives on the construction of historical memories about the War.
The second topic discusses the interaction between China and Japan during the early stages of the War. The topic first explores the reason why Japanese Prime Minister Konoe Fumimaro chose to follow the public opinion at the crossroad between peace and war. It also focuses on how the war hawks defeated their opposition and earned the leadership within Japanese army.
The third topic is on the evolution of Chinese domestic politics during the War and it explores the Chinese government’s domestic policy during the war with a focus on intelligence agency, national identity, and the mobilization of young people.
The forth topic focuses on the connection between the War and the Chinese foreign relationship. In this section, the authors examine Chiang Kai-Shek’s anti-Communist policy and how it achieved Germany’s support, his interpretation of the German-Soviet relationship, and his Soviet policy before and after the change from anti-Communist to alliance.
The fifth topic examines the rise of Communist Party during the War. It looks at how the Communist Party maintained the balance between nationalism and strengthening their own power. Further, it focuses on how the Communist Party cooperated with Northern China’s local faction to evade conflict with the central government.
The last topic is on the establishment and continuation of China’s economic system during and after the War. The authors discuss the achievements of Northeast Asia’s industrialization and how its development policy made Japanese’s Northeast Region into the center of hydropower after the War.