Question: where did the modern era of manufacturing primarily begin

title: Modern history
text: Few Chinese had any illusions about Japanese designs on China . Hungry for raw materials and pressed by a growing population , Japan initiated the seizure of Manchuria in September 1931 and established ex-Qing emperor Puyi as head of the puppet state of Manchukuo in 1932 . During the Sino - Japanese War ( 1937 -- 1945 ) , the loss of Manchuria , and its vast potential for industrial development and war industries , was a blow to the Kuomintang economy . The League of Nations , established at the end of World War I , was unable to act in the face of the Japanese defiance . After 1940 , conflicts between the Kuomintang and Communists became more frequent in the areas not under Japanese control . The Communists expanded their influence wherever opportunities presented themselves through mass organizations , administrative reforms , and the land - and tax - reform measures favoring the peasants -- while the Kuomintang attempted to neutralize the spread of Communist influence . Tripartite