This article analyzes the following three political actors in order to clarify competition over on communications rights in the East Asia maritime region: 1) the Great Northern Telegraph Company (GNTC) and the Eastern Extension Australasian & China Telegraph Company (EEACTC), which continued to renew all communication privileges, 2) Japan, which intended to improve communications, with the East Asia continent and 3) China, which endeavored to gain the communications autonomy.The outbreak of World War I presented a good opportunity for Japan to participate in the competing world of establishing sea cables in the region. To begin with, the construction of the "Japanese Empire Cable" between Nagasaki and Shanghai was completed, then the Qingdao-Sasebo sea cable was laid.While the total number of departure and arrival telegrams via the "Japanese Empire Cable" far outnumber those travelling via the Qingdao-Sasebo cable, the latter was the largest conveyor among the sea cables laid by Japan for Japanese language telegrams developed by the Ministry of Communications.After World War I, Japan and China continued diplomatic negotiations over the Qingdao-Sasebo cable, and as a result "the Shangdong pending arrangements for particulars" were signed on December 1922, with Japan transferring to China the latter's half side of the cable without compensation. Also, according to "the Telegraph Agreements on the Qingdao-Sasebo sea Cable" concluded on December 1924, China delegated control of operating Qingdao Telegraph Office to Japan.However, the Chinese National Government changed its communications policy in the direction of negotiating positively with the foreign governments by taking advantage of related agreements concluded between GNTC, EEACTC and Japan expired at the end of December 1930. At that time also the joint purse arrangement of GNTC also expired, forcing the Japanese government to recognize to enter the new stage to obtain communications profits via sea cables. Japan and China held communication conference at this time to renew their 1924 agreement, and they approved the "New Telegraph Agreements Plan on the Qingdao-Sasebo Sea Cable" which incorporated Japan's operation of the Qingdao Telegraph Office. However, with the occurrence of the Manchurian and Marco Polo Bridge incidents, the Chinese National Government hesitated in formally signing this new agreement, since the Qingdao-Sasebo cable was operated legally in compliance with 1924 Agreement up to the end of World War II. This situation became favorable for Japan, which desired to exclude the Western Powers in the East Asia.