On July 1 he announced an armistice with the National Revolutionary Army and proclaimed that he would not interfere with the reunification. The Japanese were dissatisfied with the move and demanded Zhang to proclaim the independence of Manchuria. He refused the Japanese demand and proceeded with unification matters.
On July 1st, he reached an armistice agreement with the National Revolutionary Army and declared his intention not to interfere with reunification efforts. The Japanese were dissatisfied with this move and demanded that Zhang formally declare Manchuria's independence. He refused their demand and continued working towards unifying China.