These two countries were part of the Allied Forces. The Chinese saw action here on the Western Front. Japan went to war against Germany after the British Goverment asked them to help with German raiders in and around Chinese waters. After recieving no reply to their ultimatium the Japanese declared war on Germany on 23rd August 1914. Towards the end of the war they increasingly sent materials and supplies to the Allied war machine which helped in their economy. Sniper
So those people died for no reason is basically what this means, '' Towards the end of the war they increasingly sent materials and supplies to the Allied war machine which helped in their economy.''
I'm confused by the statement posed by the op. Was the ultimatum posed to the Japanese by the British government or was it the other way around? Also, did the Japanese assist in fighting off the German Raiders before or after the said ultimatum was posed?
It should be noted that Japan was in formal alliance with the British Empire. Under Article 3 of the alliance, Japan was bound by treaty to declare war because Britain was fighting "more than one power." Ultimately, Japan ended up gaining some South Pacific colonies from Germany's defeat as well as Qingdao in China.. all of which paved the way for Tokyo's sought after Southeast Asian co-prospierity sphere.
A weird situation for the Japanese finding themselves on the same side as the Russians who they had fought only a few years before. Interesting to read on wiki that even as early as 1914, "..The Japanese Navy conducted the world's first naval-launched air raids against German-held land targets ". Seems they learnt their lesson rather too well.