Secondly, I think the question is one of the ability of Japan or Asia to become entirely independent of the West. When [the Imperial] Japanese talk[ed] about a New Order, they still continue[d] to trade with the United States, they enter[ed] into an alliance with Germany—in other words, so much of [Imperial] Japan’s action [wa]s Western‐oriented.

[…]

In September 1940 the United States imposed a complete embargo on exports to [Imperial] Japan of all grades of iron and scrap steel. Secretary of State, [Cordell] Hull, finally realized that his Asian policy had been a kind of appeasement. The United States also cut of shipments of aviation fuel to [Imperial] Japan.

The day after the American embargo, [Imperial] Japan joined forces with [the Third Reich] and [Fascist] Italy and signed the Tripartite Pact. [Imperial] Foreign Minister, [Yōsuke] Matsuoka, paraded triumphantly in Berlin, representing the most militant Japanese government to date.