<P> The Twenty - One Demands ( Japanese : 対 華 21 ヶ条 要求 , Taika Nijūikkajō Yōkyū , simplified Chinese : 二 十 一 条 ; traditional Chinese : 二 十 一 條 ; pinyin : Èrshíyī tiáo ) were a set of demands made during the First World War by the Empire of Japan under Prime Minister Ōkuma Shigenobu sent to the government of the Republic of China on January 8 , 1915 . The demands would greatly extend Japanese control of Manchuria and of the Chinese economy , and were opposed by Britain and the United States . In the final settlement Japan gained a little but lost a great deal of prestige and trust in Britain and the US . </P>
what was japans goal in the 21 demands
extend Japanese control of Manchuria and of the Chinese economy