On January 21, 1930, the top five countries of Britain, the United States, Japan, France and Italy held a naval conference in London to discuss international issues such as arms reduction.

At the meeting, Japan proposed that the number of heavy cruisers and other auxiliary ships it was entitled to should be equivalent to 70% of the total tonnage of similar ships in the United States. Opposed by the United States. Britain and the United States proposed an initiative to abolish submarine warfare, but it was also rejected by Japan, France and Italy. The conference finally signed the London Naval Convention on April 22, reaffirming that the ratio of battleships among the three countries, Britain, America and Japan remained at 5:5:3; stipulated that the ratio of destroyers was 5:5: 3.5; and was completely equal in terms of submarines. The convention also includes a flexible clause adhered to by the United Kingdom, which stipulates that any of the three signatories can change its respective shipbuilding plans after notifying other countries if national security requires it. France and Italy refused to accept the convention.

After the First World War, Britain, the United States, Japan and other powerful countries launched a fierce naval arms race for maritime hegemony. Naval reduction became a major international issue of concern to all countries, and a series of international conferences were held as a result.