Answer: The meaning of "it pledged the United States to seek peace in China according to Japan's own publicly stated terms" is that the United States was committed or obligated to work towards achieving peace in China based on the conditions or principles that Japan had publicly declared. This implies that the United States would have to abide by Japan's stated conditions and requirements in its efforts to bring peace to China. In other words, the United States would have to follow Japan's lead in its efforts to achieve peace in China, rather than pursuing its own goals or objectives in the region.
Explanation: In the context of the given text, the phrase "it pledged the United States to seek peace in China according to Japan’s own publicly stated terms" refers to a change in the draft agreement between the United States and Japan regarding the situation in China. The May draft of the agreement was more sweeping than the April draft and obligated the United States to seek peace in China based on the terms that Japan had publicly stated. This meant that the United States would have to follow Japan's terms for ending the war in China, which included coalescing the Nationalist government and the Nanking puppet regime, recognizing Manchukuo, and jointly defending against communism (which would involve stationing Japanese troops in China).