At the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War, Chō was commander of the IJA 74th Infantry Regiment of the Shanghai Expeditionary Force, attached to Japanese Central China Area Army, and based in Manchukuo.
At the outset of the Second Sino-Japanese War, Chō commanded the IJA 74th Infantry Regiment of the Shanghai Expeditionary Force, which was part of the Japanese Central China Area Army and stationed in Manchukuo.