Why did the Japanese invaders occupy the Northeast first?

Reason: Before the September 18th Incident, the economy of Northeast China had developed rapidly, and it was one of the most developed areas in China at that time. In agriculture, because the local government in Northeast China encouraged Shanhaiguan farmers to emigrate to the Northeast to open up wasteland, the cultivated land area in Northeast China increased year by year, forming Songnen Plain, Sanjiang Plain and major grain producing areas centered on Songhua River and Mudanjiang River Basin.

Among them, the commercialization rate of crops such as soybeans has reached a high level. In terms of industry, government-run industrial bodies, represented by the Arsenal in the three northeastern provinces, Northeast Aviation Factory and Fengtian Spinning Factory, and private industrial bodies, represented by oil extraction, wine making, flour processing and ceramics, have been formed.

In addition, the railway transportation, finance, foreign trade and commercial retail in Northeast China have also made great progress. Among them, steel, smelting, military industry, textile and oil exploitation industries rank among the top in the country.

Extended data

After the September 18th Incident, Japan not only monopolized the industry, mining, agriculture and finance in Northeast China, but also plundered the commerce, transportation and human resources in Northeast China on a comprehensive and large scale.

At the same time, the predatory planning of Japan's "Fengxi Industrial Zone System" and other systems has also been fully rolled out in the northeast of China, with the aim of mobilizing all economic resources to serve Japan's war of aggression. With the full-scale outbreak of the war of aggression against China, especially after the outbreak of the Pacific War, the northeast economy was completely dragged into the track of war, and the original economic system in the northeast was broken, completely becoming a vassal of the Japanese economy.

After the September 18th Incident, Japan used Manchuria, Manzhouli, Manzhouli and many other Japanese clubs to control the heavy industry in Northeast China and plunder the resources in Northeast China more cruelly.

In particular, 1937 Manzhouli Heavy Industry Development Co., Ltd. (Ye Man), established in Japan, is a large industrial company with both raw material industry and machinery manufacturing. After its establishment, it completely monopolized all heavy industries such as coal, steel, automobiles, airplanes and machinery manufacturing in the northeast of China, and became an important tool for Japan to plunder the northeast.

Baidu Encyclopedia-September 18th Incident