Ninety-five years ago today, on January 21, 1930 (December 22, 1929), the London Naval Conference opened. On January 21, 1930, Britain, the United States, Japan, France and Italy held a naval conference in London to discuss international issues such as arms reduction. At the conference, Japan proposed that the number of heavy cruisers and other auxiliary ships it was entitled to own should be equivalent to 70% of the total tonnage of similar ships in the United States. It was opposed by the United States. The proposal of Britain and the United States to abolish submarine warfare was also rejected by Japan, France and Italy. The meeting finally signed the London Naval Convention on April 22, reaffirming that the ratio of battleships of the three countries of the United Kingdom, the United States and Japan is still 5:5:3; the ratio of destroyers is 5:5:3.5; and there is complete equality in submarines. The convention also includes the telescopic clause insisted by the United Kingdom, which stipulates that any of the three signatory countries can change their respective shipbuilding plans after notifying the other countries. France and Italy refused to accept the convention. After the First World War, Britain, the United States, and Japan launched a fierce naval arms race for maritime hegemony. The reduction of the navy became a major international issue of concern to all countries, and a series of international conferences were held as a result.