To some Japanese, the most important national security objective was the unselfish one – to establish a special relationship with China, strengthening the region to allow it to turn back the tide of western imperialism. To others, the selfish objective had to take priority. No matter the cost, Japan’s own security and economic survival had to be considered ahead of Asian values. Unless Japan became more powerful, there was no way to save East Asia from the west. Japan could only be made powerful through the economic exploitation of its neighbors. Trade was necessary to the functioning of the Japanese economy. When Japan entered the first stage of its modernization in the nineteenth century, it had become dependent on other parts of the world for markets and raw materials. Raw materials for heavy industry were so strategically important they were placed in separate category from the rest of Japan’s imports. As a result, it was essential to ensure the security of the areas that supplied Japan and the trade routes that must be traveled, to ensure a reliable supply. Iron for the steel industry was of particular concern as Japan was almost wholly dependent upon imports. . . . The nearest major sources of iron were in Manchuria and northern China. –William Beasley, Japanese Imperialism, 1987 According to this historian, how did trade help Japan