Hitler meets Dr Kung 1937

[Peter H]

Dr HH Kung was said to be the richest man in China,brother-in-law to Madam Chiang,and Chinese Finance Minister in 1937.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._H._Kung

Photographed with Hitler,June 1937.From: http://www.ullsteinbild.de/

I assume financial aid was being discussed?

[Achtung Panzer!]

For a start...let me just comment on how surprise i am with the existence of such a picture...i have never see photographs of Hitler with Chinese politicans..

Right....in this part of the world amd in the States...Madam Soong as an address is more commonly associated with the wife of Chiang Kai Shek ,Madam Soong May Ling..but of course...Kung's wife was known as Soong Ai Ling..nontheless..she is also called Madam Soong...there's another sister by the way...Soon Ching Ling..the wife of Sun Yat Sen...thus,the term Madam Soong...not use appropriately..might cause confusion

[Dioneo]

That is a wonderful picture showing the relationship between German and China before the Sino-Japanese War.

Hilter did not choose China because many reports had shown that China would lose in the Sino-Japanese War. Even through China was one of the great trading partners of Germany, Hilter did not like China and thought that Japan would capture it.

Before the war, China wanted to build up their millitary to resist the invasion of Japan. I think Kung wanted to make more contracts with Germany so that Chinese could import more weapons from Germany to resist the invasion.

[asiaticus]

The Chinese military in the early to mid 1930's had a close relationship with the German military, which sent a group of advisors that helped upgrade their organization and training of their Central Army divisions, and helped Chiang to defeat the Communists in south China. Some weapons were sold to the Chinese, some regiments worth of heavy artillery, Pz I tanks, and armored cars. After the war with Japan broke out, Germany turned away from China in favor of Japan within a year or so. Chiang had to turn to the Soviets for aid.

[Windward]

Sino-German cooperation (1911-1941) from Wikipedia.

I assume financial aid was being discussed?

Well, Kung and Chinese delegacy took part in King George VI's coronation in 1937 (Kung was by then vice prime minister, secretary of treasury and president of Central Bank of China). After the coronation they visited Germany, invited by Hjalmar Schacht and Werner von Blomberg.

Chinese delagacy arrived at Berlin on June 9 1937. Kung met Hans von Mackensen on June 10 (von Neurath was visiting eastern Europe), during the meeting, Kung pointed out that Japan is not a reliable ally for Germany, he believe that German didn't forget Japanese invasion of Tsingtao and Pacific Islands during WWI. China is the real anti-communist state and Japan is only " flaunting". Von Mackensen promised that there will be no problem in Sino-Germany relationship so far as he and Neurath are in charge of Foreign Ministry. Kung also met Schacht on the same day. Schacht expianed to him that the anti-comintern pact is not an German-Japanese alliance against China. Germany is glad to loan China 100 million Reichsmark and they will not do so with Japanese. (Akten zur deutschen auswärtigen Politik 1918-1945/ADAP)

Kung visited Hermann Göring on June 11th, Göring told him he think Japan is a "Far East Italy" (he means Italy broke its alliance and declared war against Germany in WW1), and Germany will never trust Japan (Cheng Tian Fang's Memoir, volume 13. Cheng was Chinese ambassador to Germany by then). Kung asked Göring "Which country will Germany choose as her friend, China or Japan?", and Göring says China could be a mighty power in the future and Germany will take China as friend.

Kung met Hitler on June 13th. Hitler told Kung Germany has no political or territorial demands in Far East, Germany is a strong industrial country and China is a huge agricultural country, Germany's only thought on China is business. Hitler also hope China and Japan could cooperate and Hitler could mediate any disputes between these two countries, as he mediate the disputes between Italy and Yugoslavia. Hitler also told Kung that Germany will not invade other countries, and is also not afraid of foreign invasion. If Russia dare to invade Germany, one German division could defeat two Russian corps. The only thing he (Hitler) worry about is bolshevism in eastern Europian states, it's a threat to German interests and market. Hitler also said he admire Chiang because he built a powerful centralized government. (Cheng's Memoir, vol. 13)

Kung met von Blomberg on the afternoon of June 13th, discussed about the execution of 1936 HAPRO Agreement (German Ministry of War loan China 100 million Reichsmark to purchase German weapons and machines, China pay the loan by tungsten and antimony).

Kung left Berlin on June 14th to visit the US, and returned to Berlin on August 10th, one month after Sino-Japanese War broke out. He met von Blomberg, Schacht, von Mackensen and Ernst von Weizsäcker, ask them to mediate the war.

best

[Kim Sung]

Considering facts from multiple sources, it seems that Hitler had no racist mindset toward Asians. He even admired the Asian culture.