Strangled China, Mighty Russia: The Sino-Japanese Conflict in Krokodil and Soviet Diplomacy in Shidai Manhua, 1931-1937
Abstract
International relations after the Manchurian crisis of September 1931 figured prominently in such popular illustrated magazines as Krokodil in the U.S.S.R. and Shidai Manhua in the Republic of China. The way Krokodil presented the events in the Far East to its readers demonstrates how the Soviet government wanted its citizens to see the country's international position and world affairs, while Shidai Manhua's response to Soviet diplomacy in general and to the Sino-Japanese clash in particular shows how Chinese journalists and at least some part of their readership assessed international politics.
By juxtaposing these views from two non-hostile countries, this paper strives to establish how far the Soviet self-image - at least with respect to the print media - diverged from the perception of Soviet foreign policy in China.