This force was further supplemented by the Japanese Tenth Army, and marched inland from Shanghai to occupy Hangzhou.

In October 1937, this force was renamed the Japanese Central China Area Army.

The North China Area Army was maintained as a subordinate unit headquartered in Beijing and was responsible for operations in the north China plains from the Yellow River to the Great Wall, including Inner Mongolia.

The Japanese Sixth Area Army covered central and southern China, and several independent armies reporting directly to the central command in Nanjing were used for garrison, strategic reserve and for specific operations.

Towards the end of the war much of its ammunition reserve and many of its units had been transferred into the Pacific Theater leaving the China Expeditionary Army weak and undermanned.