Japan's minimum position in failed US-Japan bargaining

By late November 1941, the United States and Japan had talked for months without moving far from their opening positions. Japan sought to preserve the Tripartite Pact's practical benefits, dominate Southeast Asian resources, and retain its position in China unless Manchukuo could be secured. Those aims reflected military dependence on raw materials and the intelligence and other benefits of the Axis relationship, not just diplomatic prestige. Because Washington was unlikely to concede Japanese regional control, this minimum position left little room for a bargain.