Japanese scholars came to China to attend the "Ryukyu Studies" academic conference, and the Deputy Governor of Okinawa Prefecture sent a letter of congratulations

Fujian Provincial Government website, November 18 news, the Fujian Normal University's pioneering Chinese "Ryukyu Studies" discipline project has been selected as one of the 2025 annual funded disciplines in the "Academic Discipline Support Program" of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of History. It is one of the six "rare disciplines" selected nationwide.

It is known that Fujian Normal University has been engaged in site surveys, cultural relic protection, document organization, and academic research on Sino-Ryukyu historical relations since the 1960s. In 1995, the Sino-Ryukyu Relations Research Institute was established, becoming the only research institution in China currently focusing on Sino-Ryukyu relations.

"Cold Academic Disciplines" refer to disciplines or research areas with relatively weak research forces, low social and academic attention and participation, and endangered discipline inheritance. To further promote the creative transformation and innovative development of excellent traditional Chinese culture, continue the Chinese cultural heritage, and deepen civilizational exchanges, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of History launched the "Academic Discipline Support Program for 'Cold Academic Disciplines'" in 2024.

The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of History once stated that making "cold academic disciplines" not "extinct" and "less popular" topics not "cold" requires not only attention to related academic research but also the importance of talent teams and discipline construction. Therefore, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of History supports funding covering academic research, talent introduction, team training, and achievement output for "cold academic disciplines".

After being selected for the "Academic Discipline Support Program for 'Cold Academic Disciplines'", on November 15, the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Sino-Ryukyu Relations Research Institute and the "Ryukyu Studies" discipline construction academic symposium were held at the Qishan Campus of Fujian Normal University.

This symposium was attended by experts and scholars from more than 20 universities and research institutions, including Ryukyu University, Waseda University, Okinawa International University, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing Language and Culture University, Nanjing University, Zhejiang University, and Xiamen University.

At the meeting, letters of congratulations from the Deputy Governor of Okinawa Prefecture, Oshiro Hideo, and the Taiwan Institute of Xiamen University were read. In the speech segment, scholars such as Vice President of Ryukyu University, Kimura Kazuhiro, Vice President of Okinawa Prefectural University of Art, Mori Tatsuya, and Director of the Nanshan Cultural Research Institute of Okinawa International University, Iwata Naoko, called for both sides of the scholars to uphold the spirit of mutual respect and learning, and jointly open up a new era of Sino-Ryukyu studies.

According to the information, after the early years of the Ming Dynasty, Ryukyu gradually established a close tributary relationship with China. Ryukyu used the Chinese emperor's reign names for its official chronology and used Chinese characters for its official records.

In 1879, Japan annexed Ryukyu and set up Okinawa Prefecture. At that time, although the Qing government, as the suzerain state, was preoccupied with its own affairs, it never recognized Japan's sovereignty over Ryukyu.

After World War II, the Potsdam Proclamation clearly stipulated that Japan must return all territories acquired through aggression, and Article VIII explicitly excluded the Ryukyu Islands from Japan's sovereign territory. However, during the Cold War, in 1971, the United States, which had "administered" Ryukyu, secretly signed an agreement with Japan, transferring administrative authority over Ryukyu to Japan.

Some international law experts pointed out that this institutional arrangement has serious legal defects. Therefore, the Chinese government has never recognized the legality of this transfer and has always maintained the position that the status of Ryukyu is not finally determined.

Professor Xu Yong from the Center for Modern Chinese History at Peking University wrote an article titled "Research on Japanese Colonialism and the Issue of Ryukyu Restoration in Modern Times," stating: "The colonial rule suffered by Ryukyu lasted for more than 140 years, which is the longest in the world."

In fact, there have been close exchanges between China and the Ryukyu Kingdom since ancient times.

Xie Bizhen, Director of the Sino-Ryukyu Relations Research Institute at Fujian Normal University, introduced that before establishing formal diplomatic relations with the Ming Dynasty, Ryukyu had maritime traffic with China. According to the investigation by the Japanese archaeological community, there may have been direct trade between the two countries before the official tribute trade system was established. After the early years of the Ming Dynasty, when the Ryukyu Kingdom established formal diplomatic relations with China, China conferred titles upon Ryukyu, and Ryukyu paid tribute to China, sending a large number of students to China for study. Through different channels, Chinese civilization was widely spread in Ryukyu, profoundly influencing Ryukyu society in political systems, ideological concepts, cultural education, production technology, medical care, religious beliefs, and living customs.

At the recent "Ryukyu Studies" discipline construction academic symposium, Professor Uchiya Kenichi of Ryukyu University specifically mentioned that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japan, and hopes that scholars from China and Japan can promote the steady and long-term development of Sino-Japanese friendship through exchanges and mutual learning.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1849210705029132/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.