Cairo Declaration

Setting the scene

The Cairo Declaration was issued on November 27, 1943, following the Cairo Conference (November 22-26) between U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Chinese Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek in Cairo, Egypt. It was the first time the three Allied leaders met to discuss the war against Japan and postwar Asia. Soviet leader Stalin did not attend, as the USSR was not yet at war with Japan.

What happened

The declaration stated that Japan would be stripped of all territories seized since 1914, including Manchuria, Taiwan, and the Pescadores, which would be returned to China. Korea would become independent 'in due course.' The Allies would continue the war until Japan's unconditional surrender. The declaration also affirmed that the three powers sought no territorial gains for themselves.

Why it still matters

The Cairo Declaration shaped postwar East Asia, establishing the principle that Japan would lose its empire and that China would be restored as a great power. It promised Korean independence, ending 35 years of Japanese rule, though 'in due course' allowed for the later division and Korean War. The declaration's promises to China were largely fulfilled, though Taiwan's status remains contested. Cairo demonstrated Roosevelt's vision of China as a postwar power and established Allied war aims in Asia.

Background

It shaped postwar East Asian claims.