Why did the japanesse general tojo want to gain control of land in northern china?

Japanese General Hideki Tojo sought to gain control of land in northern China primarily to secure resources and expand Japan's influence in East Asia. Northern China was rich in Natural Resources, which Japan needed to fuel its growing industrial economy and military ambitions. Additionally, controlling this territory would provide strategic advantages and facilitate Japan's broader imperialist goals, including the establishment of a greater East Asian co-prosperity sphere. This expansionist policy was driven by a desire for self-sufficiency and national security amid the geopolitical tensions of the time.