日本早在19世紀末葉就已經誕生了大亞細亞主義，然此論述雖以團結亞洲各民族爲號召，實則爲掩護日本掌握亞洲霸權的論述。孫中山於1924年提出的「大亞洲主義」，便是與日本的大亞細亞主義對話，勇於指摘日本的帝國主義行徑，並提供亞洲弱小民族解放的大同理想，因此獲得當時殖民地台灣社會的熱烈支持。日本大亞細亞主義的發展在一戰期間、1924年《排日移民法》通過以及1933年日本退出國際聯盟等三個時間點，有過三次的高峰期。除了第一次高峰期台人來不及參與，之後台人每每試圖與大亞細亞主義對話，甚至對抗。大亞細亞主義推動了日本帝國掌握亞洲霸權的野心，卻也同時激發了台人追求民族平等地位的渴望，因此從1924年起，台人總在大亞細亞主義的論述矛盾中，援引孫中山「大亞洲主義」的思想鼓吹台灣民族所應獲得的平等地位。然而，隨著時局日趨嚴峻，「大亞洲主義」的合法性也漸次衰微，到了1937年日本大行「大東亞共榮圈」之道，台灣社會已無孫中山「大亞洲主義」能夠滋長的空間了。

As early as the late 19th century, Japan had developed a Pan-Asianist discourse. However, Japanese visions of a union of Asian nations implicitly endorsed Japan's hegemony over Asia. In 1924, the Pan-Asianist vision outlined by Dr. Sun Yat-sen represented a critical alternative to Japanese Pan-Asianism and a challenge to Japanese imperialism in the region. Dr. Sun's ideal of emanacipation for national minorities found support in Taiwan, which was still under Japanese colonial rule. Japan experienced three waves of interest in Pan-Asianism which coincided with the First World War, America's passage of anti-Asian immigration legislation in 1924, and Japan's withdrawal from the League of Nations in 1933. While Taiwanese did not participate in the first wave, beginning in 1924 they attempted to discuss and even to oppose Japan's imperialist version of Pan-Asianism. While Pan-Asianism was used by Japan to promote Tokyo's imperialist ambitions, it also galvanized Taiwan's pursuit of national equality. As they engaged with the Japanese Pan-Asianist discourse, Taiwanese referenced Dr. Sun's Pan-Asian thought to advance their pursuit of national equality. However, as the world lurched again toward war, Dr. Sun's idealistic Pan-Asianism lost its appeal. By 1937, when Japan began forcibly implementing its imperialist plan to create a Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, Dr. Sun's alternative Pan-Asian vision no longer provided a source of resistance for Taiwanese society.