Plausability Check: Nationalist China allies with the Japanese

Chiang Kai-shek, leader of the nationalists, actually thought the communists were a bigger threat to China then the invading Japanese were, and it only took two of his generals kidnapping him in the Xi'an incident in order for him to finally join the Second United Front against the Japanese. Even then, the truce with the communists were only in name; the New Fourth Army Incident was a battle between communist and nationalist forces. So, what if, for some reason or another, Chiang Kai-shek decides that the communists are the number one priority to destroy, or that defeating the Japanese is impossible, or that the Japanese invasion was the only time to defeat the communists and secure a rump China under his control. Would he ally with the Japanese, or secured a non-aggression pact?
 
A ceasefire is more likely, then after a couple of years it may progress to an alliance but only after some real borders are drawn up between the two.
 
Hmm, what about popular sentiment? I realize the Nationalists did most of the fighting, but the Communists did a great job in terms of propaganda. If Chiang decided to ally with the Japanese, you'd probably have the biggest shitstorm.
 
Chiang could accept a ceasefire, but an alliance was out of the question. Whatever his personal feelings, these weren't shared by the rest of the country. The reason his kidnappers were able to secure his promise to stop the civil war was precisely because much of the population and more than a few army leaders were not going to put up with fighting other Chinese any longer. If it were a simple coup, Chiang would be under no obligation to keep a promise made under duress.

Just before his kidnapping, Chiang's approval had reached an all time low. Ending the civil war made him instantly popular again. A number of warlords pledged alliance to Chiang based on his promise to fight the Japanese. Ending resistance to restart the civil war would make his regime vulnerable to another coup. Communist recruitment would have a bumper year. Quite possibly some warlords would ally with the Communists.

Besides, Chiang's "disease of the skin" referred to his pre-war analysis of the threats he faced. In the middle of the war, with the Japanese in control of most of the country, committing horrific atrocities, nobody in their right mind would compare the situation to a minor aliment.
 
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